The Phantom of the Opera
by Blonde Shadowcat
Summary: [COMPLETE] This is a modernized version of the musical: Phantom of the Opera, Teen Titans style. But in this one, everyone is normal and in high school trying out for the musical Hannibal. The story most of us know ensues from there...
1. The Cast

Hey there.

Okay, this is a new fic of mine that is going to be a Teen Titan based Phantom of the Opera. If you do not like either the musical or the movie, I highly recommend that you do not read this. Anyone sending me flames for this fic will be very sorry they did. And no, that is not a threat.

This fic is also going to have the same songs and some of the same lines from the musical/movie. Here is a list of who are going to be the people in the normal Phantom of the Opera:

Phantom- Red X

Christine- Starfire (Kori)

Roul- Robin (Richard)

Madame Giry- Raven

Andre- Cyborg (Victor)

Firmin- Beast Boy (Gar)

Carlotta- Blackfire (Kiona)

Meg- Jinx (Jinny)

Bouquet- Mammoth (Mark)

Piangi- Speedy (Steven)

Reyer- Hotspot (Henry)

Attillio- Aqualad (Alan)

And, in case you were wondering, Jinx is, in a sense, good in this fic. Since it takes place in high school and it isn't the same Titans universe, I see no reason why they can't get along just this once. Besides, I couldn't find anyone else who could be Meg; she just seemed to fit the part better than Bumblebee, in my opinion.

I don't know if anyone will like this fic, since I usually don't do the whole "high school drama" deal. I usually think it has been done enough. But, with this, I hope some people will like it. Well, enjoy!


	2. Hannibal

Kori looked boredly at the slowest moving clock she had ever known. It was her last hour before school was out, and World History was never one of her favorite subjects. She puffed a piece of ruby hair out of her outlandishly tan face.

She anticipated school's release today more than usual because it was rehearsal day for the upcoming musical "Hannibal". She hadn't gotten the lead part of course, she was only a sophomore. Her older sister, Kiona, who was a senior, had gotten the lead role. Again.

Nevertheless, she was in the play, and that was all that mattered to her. She was, after all, a chorus dancer, which she enjoyed playing. It was somewhat the beginning of the year, and "Hannibal" was the first out of the three musicals that would be performed during that year. She had a small hope she could get a bigger part in one of the next upcoming plays.

_RRRIIIIIINNGGGG_

Kori jumped. Class was over. She quickly grabbed her things and walked over to the auditorium, where the rest of the cast members would be waiting for rehearsal.

As she walked through the door, she heard her name,

"Kori, Kori over here!"

The redhead quickly turned her head to see her friend Jinny. They weren't especially close, but they were partners in Latin class, and she was a chorus girl as well. Because of this, they had become well acquainted with one another, and pretty good friends.

Jinny, who liked being a little rebellious, had dyed her hair pink, and Kori found this amusing. Jinny was always up for a good laugh, and always wanted to have fun.

"We should get dressed in our costumes," Kori said.

The girls walked over to a girl dressed in black.

"Hello, Raven. We aren't late, are we?"

The gothic girl looked at them flatly,

"No, you're right on time.You'd better hurry, though, Henry isn't in a good mood today."

Jinny spoke up, "Yeah, you would know. You're like one of the main stagehands."

"I'm only in charge of the ballet dancers, nothing big."

The two girls shrugged and got into their costumes, which were old fashioned to make them look Greek. Kori put on her ballet shoes carefully,

"Jinny, I haven't been able to get the dance right, have you?"

"It isn't really that hard. Maybe you're just under a lot of stress, that always gets me."

"Maybe."

When all was ready, the two girls watched as the leads began to perform.

Kiona was playing the part of the queen of Carthage, Elissa. Hannibal himself was being played by a boy named Steven, also a popular senior.

Henry, the lead thespian and director of the play, began to describe the scene to them.

"Steven," he said pointing to the giant elephant on the left side of the stage, "you and your army are coming to save Carthage from the Roman invasion,"

Steven nodded. Henry then turned to Kiona, "you are waiting for the approaching Hannibal, and he has sent you a present that shows your people are at peace."

Kiona simply stared at the prop given to her, "It's a severed _head_." She held it out away from her, her long envied black hair falling to one side.

"Just sing the song." Henry rubbed his temples in frustration; sometimes she acted too much like a diva.

"Action,"

Kiona's strong, powerful voice echoed off the dark walls of the auditorium as she sang, the severed head still in hand,

"_This trophy from our saviors,  
__From the enslaving force  
__Of Rome!"_

Kori, Jinny, and the other chorus girls stepped up around Kiona and joined in, dancing the ballet routine.

"_With feasting and dancing and song,  
__Tonight in celebration,  
__We greet the victorious throng,  
__Returned to bring salvation!"_

The men's chorus came in as well.

"_The trumpets of Carthage resound!  
__Hear Romans, now, and tremble!  
__Hark to our step on the ground!"_

Then, with a giant breath, the entire group sang all together.

"_Hear the drums-  
__Hannibal comes!"_

Kiona sang louder than the rest, holding the last note as long as she could. Then, as scheduled, Steven strutted onto center stage, and stood next to the popular girl. As the carrot-haired boy sang his part, half the girls swooned at his voice, as it was for good reason he was chosen for the lead.

"_Sad to return to find the land that we love  
__Threatened once more by Roma's far-reaching grasp."_

Henry cut in, interrupting him,

"Steven, remember…its "Rome", not "Roma"."

Steven apologized, a bit embarrassed,

"Sorry, I'm so used to saying it that way, I have to get out of that habit."

"Try your best. Alright, once again, then. If you please, Steven, "Sad to return…""

All at once, a boy with sleek black hair appeared in the doorway of the auditorium.

"This way, guys." Alan said to a boy with dyed green hair and a tall muscular boy.

"We're starting rehearsals for the new production of Chalumeau's "Hannibal"."

Alan, leading the two boys down the aisles and to the stage, cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Guys…guys…HELLO?" everyone was finally quiet.

"Thank you. I know some of you already know Gar Logan and Victor Stone."

Henry, again, frustrated, interrupts them,

"Sorry, Alan, but we _are_ rehearsing. Could you give us a minute to finish until we can stop at a breaking point?"

"Sure."

"Alright, then. Right where we left off, "Sad to return…", Steven,"

Alan rolled his eyes and looked at the teens beside him,

"That's Henry, the director, and chief repetiteur. Much more of a tyrant, in my opinion."

Gar and Victor just looked on and smiled. Although he probably was a tyrant, it was still funny to watch him.

Steven then sang back where he left off,

"_Sad to return to find the land we love,  
__Threatened once more by Rome's far-reaching grasp.  
__Tomorrow we shall break the chains of Rome.  
__Tonight rejoice-your army has come home."_

On cue, Kori, Jinny, and the other ballet girls began their dance. Alan lead the boys up to the stage to watch the ballet. Getting in the way, Alan continues to explain the cast to the boys.

"That is Steven, our main tenor. He sounds awesome when he is contrasted with Kiona's voice."

Raven, noticing they were in the way, walked up to them to shoo them off the stage.

"Sorry, but you'll get in the way of the dancers. If you could just stand over there…"

"Oh!" Gar apologized immediately, "Sorry. We were just…um…watching."

She looked at him, as if he had said nothing, and continued with her practice.

"Who is that?" Gar asked eagerly.

"Her? Oh, that's Raven, the lead ballet instructor. She would kill herself before she did any of the dances herself, but she does know how to supervise and instruct really well."

Alan continued, "We also have a very good ballet group."

Victor, seeing Jinny do a beautiful spin, looked to Alan,

"Who's that dancer?" he asked, "She's really good."

"That's Jinny. She's a very promising dancer, she could get far with that talent of hers."

Kori continued to dance, but then became prominent above the rest. She suddenly fell out of step, then quickly got back again. Raven called to her,

"Kori, concentrate!"

"Sorry." She said, almost flustered. Jinny said to her quietly,

"Kori, is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine," she said quietly back.

"Who's that one?" Gar pointed to Kori.

"That's Kori Anders, another great dancer."

"Anders? I've never heard a name like that before."

"It's foreign."

"Is she related to that violinist guy?"

"Yes, she was one of his two daughters. She always has her head in the clouds, though." Alan responded.

The chorus then began to sing again,

"_Bid welcome to Hannibal's guests-  
__The elephants of Carthage!  
__As guides on our conquering quests,  
__Dido sends,  
__Hannibal's friends!"_

The giant elephant was mechanically put onto the stage, and Steven then climbed onto it, as Kiona finishes her solo,

"_Once more to my welcoming arms,  
__My love returns in splendor!"_

Steven approached her, and then continued.

"_Once more to those sweetest of charms,  
__My heart and soul surrender!"_

The chorus then sang the climax of the song, louder than ever before.

"_The trumpeting elephants sound-  
Hear Romans, now, and tremble!  
Hark to their step on the ground-  
Hear the drums!  
Hannibal comes!"_

_

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_

Hope everyone liked it, remember to review!


	3. Think of Me

Hey, back.

Glad you guys liked the first chapter…and I fixed the nitpick that **_laurashrub _**pointed out. Thanks, by the way, constructive criticism is always useful!

Thank you also to all the other people who reviewed!

* * *

"I love that scene," Kiona said cockily to Steven.

Kori rolled her eyes. Just because she and Steven were dating did not mean they had to be so sappy all of the time, especially during rehearsals. Suddenly she heard a boy's voice.

"Okay, _now_ can I have your attention?" Alan looked a bit annoyed. They had finally finished the song. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Alright. Now, this is Gar Logan and Victor Stone." The two boys waved. "They are the new thespians in charge of the theatre productions." Alan saw the look on Henry's face but caught him before he could object,

"They are not going to have any of the jobs that the _director _has, they are just going to help oversee everything." Henry's face calmed.

"I know those two," Jinny said to Kori, pointing at the boys, "That one with the green spiky hair is a junior, and that black boy is a senior." Kori looked on as Jinny continued to explain, "That boy, Victor, he's on the football team, I think. He's kind of cute, in my opinion."

Kori giggled and the two girls diverted their attention to the continuing introductions.

Kiona pranced up to the two boys to make herself known,

"This is Kiona, our leading soprano for five plays now."

"Oh yeah," Victor spoke up, "I remember you, you were in that other play…oh, man, I forget what it's called…"

"Yes, I was the main character," The tall brunette smiled and tossed her head carelessly, as if to tell them they should be honored in her presence. The teens just stared at her blankly and moved on.

"And this is Steven." Steven shook both of their hands.

"Hi." Victor and Gar looked back to the operetta,

"Isn't there this one song," Gar said, "in act three that you sing? Can you give us a little demo?" He said raising his eyebrows. He then suddenly changed character, "Unless Henry wants to wait…"

Kiona looked in fake kindness at the director, "As long as it's okay with him…"

"Sure…fine. How's two bars as an introduction?"

"That would be great." Victor said, now also wanting to hear.

Henry quickly got the music prepared, "Ready?"

"Of course," she said in her normally cocky tone. The pianist began to play the introduction on the piano. Kiona strutted onto center stage, very pleased with herself.

"_Think of me,  
__Think of me fondly,  
__When we've said goodbye.  
__Remember me,  
__Once in awhile,  
__Please promise me you'll try.  
__When you find  
__That once again you long  
__To take your heart…"_

All of a sudden, one of the backdrops crashed to the ground onto the stage, cutting her off from half the cast. Kiona screamed in surprise and fear as the other backdrop fell onto her. Many of the other girls screamed and ran from the sight. The stagehands ran to Kiona to help her.

Screams were everywhere. It took a few calming words from Raven to settle them down.

"You guys! Calm down, it was just an accident…"

Jinny looked up, and saw a black cloak vanish into the darkness. She grabbed hold of Kori's arm and looked at her in fear,

"_He's here, the Phantom of the Opera…  
__He is with us,  
__It's the ghost…  
__He's here, the Phantom of the Opera…  
__He is with us,  
__It's the ghost…"_

"You idiots! She's probably hurt, and all because of your carelessness!" Steven said angrily as he ran over to her side. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

It was Henry's turn to be angry now, "Mark! Where is Mark! He was supposed to be watching those cords to make sure something like this didn't happen! Where is that moron? MARK!"

"Does anyone care about Kiona?" Steven said impatiently, "She could be injured!"

"Get that boy down here!" Henry boomed, "He's the one responsible for this!"

The stagehands quickly raised the backdrop back to its original place. As soon as everything is fixed, a boy with mullet-like hair appeared upstage. He looked as astounded as the rest, with a broken rope in his hand. Henry looked at the rope strangely. It almost looked like a noose…

"MARK! What on earth is going on up there?" Mark's feeble voice spoke out over the auditorium in a deep husk of bewilderment,

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. Don't look at me, I swear, I wasn't at my post." Henry eyed him in suspicion.

"Honest, Henry, there was no one there. And if there is, then, it must be a ghost or something…because I sure wasn't here."

Jinny whispered to Kori, "He's here, the Phantom of the Opera…"

The girls heard her, and began to become frightened once again. Some whimpering in fear, others huddling together in groups. Raven was still trying to calm them. Victor's voice rang out suddenly to stop the pandemonium.

"Girls, please!" He looked all around the stage, "There's nothing to be afraid of…" Gar looked over to the whimpering Kiona, and said to her,

"These things do happen."

The temperamental girl rounded on him viciously,

"Yes, these things _do_ happen! Well, until you stop these things from happening, _this _thing does _not _happen!" and with that, she stormed out of the auditorium, her frilly costume falling behind her.

"She'll be back…" Gar looked to Victor, "Won't she?"

"I don't think she will," Gar turned to see Raven's slim figure walk towards them, "I have a message, you two, from the Opera Ghost."

Victor rolled his eyes, "Man, you're all obsessed!"

"He merely welcomes you to his auditorium and commands that you continue to leave the balcony empty for his use," the gothic girl replied, "and reminds you that his salary is due."

"Say what?" Gar's eyes widened. "We have to pay him?"

"How do we even know there is a 'him'?" Victor said, frustrated. He looked back to the girl in black, who merely replied,

"The old overseers would give him two-hundred dollars a month. Perhaps you could afford more, with Richard Grayson as your patron."

At the sound of Richard's name, Kori grabbed Jinny's arm nervously, but said nothing.

"Richard will be at the performance tonight, won't he?" She eyed Gar expectantly. Gar felt himself blush as he blurted out,

"Of course he will!" he looked to Victor, who was talking to Henry. He glanced back at Raven, "He will be sitting with us."

"Well, there won't be a show tonight if we don't have a lead singer." Henry said impatiently.

"Kori Anders could sing it, sir," Jinny said to the director. Kori shot her head at Jinny, who looked back at her as if to say 'it's okay, you can do it'.

"A chorus girl?" Victor looked Kori up and down, "To be the lead role?" Jinny spoke up again, this time to Victor,

"She's been taking lessons from a great teacher."

"From who?" Gar asked, now interested. All eyes fell onto Kori, who glanced around uneasily,

"I…don't know…" she said quietly. Raven spoke up, interrupting all thought of objection,

"Let her sing for you, she has been well taught." After a moment of silence, Henry looked over to the green-eyed girl,

"From the beginning of the aria, then…" he cued his hand to the pianist, who began to play. The beautiful piano piece began to finish its introduction when Kori began the song.

"_Think of me,  
__Think of me fondly,  
__When we've said goodbye.  
__Remember me,  
__Once in awhile,  
__Please promise me you'll try._

Victor nudged Gar with his shoulder, "What if this doesn't work?"

"Don't worry, Vic, she has a pretty good voice."

_When you find  
__That once again you long,  
__To take your heart back  
__And be free  
__If you ever find a moment,  
__Spare a thought for me."_

Raven smiled. She really had been well taught. The following night, Kori, starring as Elissa, continued to perform as the lead in the play. During act three, she walked onto the stage and performed her song.

"_Think of me,  
__Think of me fondly,  
__When we've said goodbye.  
__Remember me,  
__Once in awhile,  
__Please promise me you'll try.  
__When you find  
__That once again you long,  
__To take your heart back and be free,  
__If you ever find a moment,  
__Spare a thought for me.  
__We never said  
__Our love was evergreen,  
__Or as unchanging as the sea.  
__But if you can still remember,  
__Stop and think of me.  
__Think of all the things we've shared and seen.  
__Don't think about the thins which might have been.  
__Think of me,  
__Think of me waking  
__Silent and resigned.  
__Imagine me,  
__Trying to hard  
__To put you from my mind.  
__Recall those days,  
__Look back on all those times,  
__Think of the things we'll never do,  
__There will never be a day  
__When I won't think of you."_

A giant applause was received by the redhead. She blushed, but unbeknownst to her, Richard saw her from his seat. He gazed at her, astounded at how different she was,

"_Can it be?  
__Can it be Kori?_

Bravo!" he clapped loudly from where he sat.

"_What a change,  
__You're really not a bit,  
__That gawkish girl that once you were.  
__She may not remember me,  
__But I remember her…" _

He listened on to her beautifully sweet voice.

"_...We never said  
__Our love was evergreen,  
__Or as unchanging as the sea.  
__But please promise me  
__That sometimes,  
__You will think of me!"

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_

Yep, another chappie, so review! 


	4. Angel of Music

This is going quite well, I must admit. This fanfic is moving along a lot faster than my usual ones. Oh well, at least this one is going good!

I would like to point out that Kori is going to keep the nickname "Little Lotte" from the musical/movie, because in the real thing, "Lotte" is in no way relative to the name "Christine". So, in this story, since it is also in no way relative to the name "Kori", and as seeing as I cannot find any other nickname to use, I will use the original. Besides, "Little Lotte" is mentioned in several songs, so it's not like I could just drop the nickname altogether.

Okay now, onto reviews…

_**XxtearsxofxbloodxandxhatexX-**man, your name is looong! I haven't realized it until now. Anyways, really glad you like the story, and you are SO NICE…I await reviews like yours because they make me extra happy!_

_**EmeraldShine-**thank you! I was hoping no one would have any problems with the cast, and I'm so happy you enjoyed it!_

_**AnotherFreakishFan-**yes, it is a bit extravagant, but I did consider 20. Remember, I had thought of that one, but I thought it was too small, so I made it 200. Don't worry, I don't mind criticism too much, as long as it isn't a downright flame. And no, I will not kill you…_

_**TitansFan-**I like "Think of Me" too. It's just so darn CATCHY! But, yes, I had the idea of having World History as the last subject because that's what I had last semester at 7th hour…so that's a freaky coincidence. Although I am a freshman, it is still ironic…_

_**Rose-**no criticism from you…YAY! _

_**Robin and Star Fan-**thank you! I hope you like this chapter as much as the others!_

_**Robin+Starfire-**yes, the ending is sad…I cry every time I hear it…hope you like this chapter!_

_**Laurashrub-**glad you liked it, and, you know what? I took your advice and fixed that little nitpick from the 2nd chapter! It really helped, and thanks!_

_**Reggaeshiko-tama-**thanks, and I hope you get to read the rest. I will try to read your fic pretty soon. _

_**Jaina 12-**thank you, I'm so glad you liked the cast!_

Thanks again to all who reviewed! If I missed anybody, don't be mad, I'll try to get you in the next chapter! Now onto the story…

* * *

Countless cheers were thrown onto the immensely decorated stage where the red-haired girl stood. She smiled brightly as a few flowers were tossed.

After the show, all of Kori's ballerina friends gushed around her, toppling her over with compliments,

"Kori, you were great!"

"You were awesome!"

"Hey, great job!"

Kori edged slowly away from the crowd of ballerinas, walking to the other side of the stage. Raven walked in front of her and greeted her as warmly as it was possible for her to.

"Yes, you did well. He will be very pleased," she then turned to the ballerinas, "You, however, need to work on your footing…" she walked over to help them, "You guys need more practice."

Kori moved on unnoticed, making her way to her dressing room. Henry stopped her. Kori looked at him, not expecting him to say anything,

"Miss Anders…you…well…you did good, kid."

She smiled. Approval from this thespian was like winning the Grammys, it just didn't happen that often.

"Thank you." She said, and continued to walk to her room. She walked down the winding stairways that led to her dressing room. Unbeknownst to her, Jinny followed her far behind, trying to tell Kori "congratulations" like everyone else. Kori didn't notice. As Kori was about to open her door, she heard a haunting voice call out to her from nowhere,

"**_Bravi, bravi, bravissimi…"_**

Kori gasped, bewildered by the voice. She listened closely to see if she could hear something else…

"Kori!"

Jinny said brightly as she put a hand on her shoulder. Kori turned quickly and jumped, startled by her friend's sudden appearance. She suddenly felt a gust of relief, grateful she was not alone…

"_Where in the world have you been hiding?  
__Really you were perfect!  
__I only wish I knew your secret,  
__Who is this new tutor?"_

Kori, almost dazed, slowly opened the door of the dressing room and walked in. Once inside, she turned to the pink-haired girl,

"_Father once spoke of an Angel,  
__I used to dream he'd appear.  
__Now as I sing I can sense him,  
__And I know he's here.  
__Here in this room he calls me softly,  
__Somewhere inside, hiding.  
__Somehow I know he's always with me,  
__He, the unseen genius."_

Jinny looked at her friend with an odd look on her pale face. She lead Kori outside of the dressing room, leading her back up towards the backstage.

"_Kori, you must have been dreaming,  
__Stories like this can't come true.  
__Kori, you're talking in riddles,  
__And it's not like you."_

Ignoring her friend, Kori still kept her trance.

"_Angel of Music,  
__Guide and guardian.  
__Grant to me your glory."_

Jinny took Kori's arm and continued to lead her, now more interested in what she meant, for she had no idea what she was talking about.

"_Who is this angel?  
__This…"_

"_Angel of Music,  
__Hide no longer  
__Secret and strange Angel."_

Kori stopped walking. She stared blankly into space, like she couldn't control herself.

"_He's with me even now…"_

Jinny grew more concerned with every word Kori said; she was beginning to scare her.

"_Your hands are cold…"_

"…_All around me…"_

"_Your face, Kori, it's white…"_

Kori didn't move. A look of terror now played mercilessly across her tan face. Her hands began to shake uncontrollably.

"…_It frightens me…"_

"_Don't be frightened."_

Jinny began to feel uneasy, "Kori, are you feeling alright? You might be sick or something." Kori's eyes began to zone out blankly.

"Kori?"

"JINNY!" both girls snapped out of their thoughts at Raven's yell, "Are you a dancer or are you not? Get over here and practice!" Before Kori could leave, Raven walked over to her and handed her a letter.

"I was asked to give you this," the dark girl replied to Kori's blank stares. The girl opened the parchment gingerly and read it:

"A red scarf…the attic…Little Lottie…"

Kori then returned to her dressing room promptly. She sat down, her back towards the giant mirror on her wall. She turned around, looking at her ghastly reflection. She shivered, not sure why. Kori then diverted her attention back to the letter.

Meanwhile, Gar, Victor, and Richard were walking down the corridors of the auditorium discussing the night's qualities.

"This was the best show ever!" Victor said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, and not one refund!" Gar added in.

"Greedy…" Victor mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Oh, _nothing_…ANYWAYS…Richard, I think we've found some real talent in miss Anders."

"Yes, she was really good." Richard said.

"Well, here's her room." Gar said to Richard, pointing to the door.

"Do you think she'll remember you?" Victor asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I don't know,"

"I think she will." Gar said with a smile creeping up his face.

"You can never be sure, it was so long ago…"

"Just go in there man!" Victor said, almost shoving Richard into the door. Richard looked suspiciously at the two boys behind him.

"What…huh? Oh, don't mind us." Gar smiled. Richard looked back with a smile of his own,

"I would prefer to have this conversation _alone_."

"What? _Aloooone?_ Well, why would you want to…"

Richard prepared to push them out of the hallway before the pranksters were on their way in the opposite direction, with Gar mumbling, "Party pooper…"

Richard regained his composure quickly and knocked on Kori's dressing room door. He opened it and poked his head inside the room.

"Kori Anders, where is your scarf?"

"My what?"

"Don't tell me you lost it…after all the trouble I took. I was only ten years old and soaked to the skin…"

Kori's face immediately brightened at his old jokes once again,

"…Because you just had to run into the sea to get my scarf. So it really is you, after all these years," she jumped up and gave him a huge hug. She then sat back down at her desk, when she heard him speak again,

"_Little Lotte, let her mind wander…"_

She turned, surprised.

"You remember that, too…"

"_Little Lotte thought: 'Am I fonder of dolls…"_

"_Or of goblins or shoes...  
__Or of riddles or frocks…"_

Richard laughed at this,

"_Or of chocolates?"_

"Father playing the violin…"

"…As we read to eachother dark stories of the North…"

Kori smiled and looked at her childhood sweetheart,

"_No-what I love best,  
__Lotte said,  
__Was when I'm asleep in my bed.  
__And the Angel of Music sings songs in my head…"_

Richard smiled; he remembered it too.

"…_The Angel of Music sings in my head."_

The teenage boy looked lovingly at his long lost friend. Kori turned in her chair to face his direction and said to him gently,

"Father told me, 'When I am in heaven, child, I will send the Angel of Music to you.' Well, my father has died, and I really have been visited by an angel."

"I can tell…you sounded amazing! Let's get some dinner, come on, I'll pay."

"No, Richard, I can't. The Angel of Music is very strict."

"It won't be long, just a run over to that new fast food place…"

"No, Richard," she tried to object, but she couldn't persuade him. She really wanted to go, but she knew what the Angel wanted, and he wanted her to stay put.

"Come on, it'll just take a minute. You can get changed while I get my coat. I'll be back in a few minutes. Until then-Little Lotte." And with that, he closed her door.

"Wait, Richard! I can't go!" She drooped her eyes to the floor. He wasn't listening. She knew that their relationship of old would live on, and that Richard would stop at nothing to keep it that way. Kori sighed. He always had a way with words, and he hadn't lost his persuasive touch.

But this was a sigh of sadness. She knew she would not be able to leave with him, not even for dinner. She walked slowly to her dresser and picked up her hand mirror. She looked at her face, sighed again, and said sadly,

"…Things have changed, Richard."

She then heard a loud, booming voice come from behind her giant mirror. She dropped her hand mirror in a quick movement of impulse. The small trinket hit the ground, but did not break. She stared at it, but the voice startled her,

"_**Insolent boy!  
**__**This slave of fashion,  
**__**Basking in your glory.  
**__**Ignorant fool,  
**__**This brave young suitor,  
**__**Sharing in my triumph!"**_

Kori stood, spellbound by the voice. Her face lost its usual glow. It was now pale with fear and manipulation. In a trance-like state, she replied to the ghost,

"_Angel, I hear you speak,  
__I listen.  
__Stay by my side,  
__Guide me.  
__Angel, my soul was weak,  
__Forgive me,  
__Enter at last, master."_

"_**Flattering child you shall know me,  
**__**See why in shadow I hide.  
**__**Look at your face in the mirror,  
**__**I am there, inside!"**_

There, in her trance, she saw him. His now tangible body enveloped in what looked like the inside of the mirror. As if appearing out of thin air, the Phantom stood like a ghostly vision in front of the girl. Each note he sang, she became more and more succumbed to him, her eyes fixed on the man.

"_Angel of Music,  
__Guide and guardian.  
__Grant to me your glory.  
__Angel of Music,  
__Hide no longer.  
__Come to me strange Angel…"_

The Phantom moved his finger in a moving motion as if to draw her to him. He began to slink out of the mirror, his hand outstretched to Kori,

"_**I am your Angel…  
**__**Come to me, Angel of Music…  
**__**I am your Angel of Music…  
**__**Come to me, Angel of Music…"**_

Kori began to walk slowly towards him, her eyes wide but relaxed and fixed on the mirror. She inched closer and closer to the masked man.

Richard walked down the hall and came to her door. He called in for her,

"Kori, come on, we're going to be late! Are you ready to go?" He then heard the Phantom's voice echo in her room. He panicked, and dodged for the door. It was locked. He banged on the door,

"_Who is that voice?  
__Who is that in there…?"_

No reply. All he heard was the vast echo that was getting louder.

"_**I am your Angel of Music…  
**__**Come to me, Angel of Music…"**_

Kori continued to walk towards the Phantom. He then grasped her hand gently and pulled her through the shimmering glass, her dress trailing behind as she stepped lightly through. With another step she disappeared.

At the very moment, the dressing room door suddenly swung open, making Richard fall in and topple to the floor. He stood up in a flash and whirled his head around, to find the room empty.

"Kori? KORI!"

* * *

Okay, you have to admit, it WAS longer! Please review! 


	5. The Phantom of the Opera

HAHA

You guys are funny. For those of you who believe that you are obsessed, well, you're not alone. Would I really make an entire fanfiction on this musical if I wasn't obsessed as well? Hee hee. Well, yeah, I think the same as all of you, I absolutely LOVE the movie and the Broadway performance. I have seen the live performance once and the movie once, but I am SO BUYING IT THE MINUTE IT COMES OUT! And, I also have the soundtrack, too, so yay! It's awesome, really, and I just adore the movie more than ever!

For all who care (aka me) "The Phantom of the Opera" was nominated for 3 Academy Awards, but lost two to "The Aviator" and once to "Finding Neverland". It was nominated for: "Artistic Design", "Cinematography", and "Best Original Score—for the song 'Learn to Be Lonely'".

I, of course, thought that they should have won ALL of them, but hey, at least it was nominated.

Now, time for review answering—

_**Robin and Star Fan-**I'm so glad you like it! I hope you like this chapter too because it took me awhile._

_**Rose- **I love Music of the Night! It's just so…BEAUTIFUL! Yes, the Phantom is awesome, and in the movie he is so HOT! But, besides that, you and I both know who she's gonna end up with, and I don't think you like the answer to that one…_

_**StarfireFowl-**even though I do have a freakishly accurate memory, I did not memorize the entire thing by heart. I have the soundtrack, which has the entire script of the play in it, so that makes it a bit easier!_

_**Jabberbabi13-**wow, you saw the play when you were one year old? No wonder you like it so much now!_

_**Another Freakish Fan-**you lucky person! You got to see the movie again? SO NOT FAIR! Where I am, the movie isn't in theatres anymore, so I have to wait like a slug for it to come out on dvd. Again, not fair!_

_**TitansFan-**the song "Phantom of the Opera" is my favorite song in the whole play! I just love it! I also love "Masquerade," and yes, believe me, it is very easy to keep in your head for three days…_

_**EmeraldShine-**yay, I'm so glad you like it! I'm glad people appreciate the musical/movie for how beautiful it really is. I hope you like this chapter!_

_**StarfireRobin-**thank you! I hope it hasn't been done before, because I like to write stories that are different from everyone else's._

_**Laurashrub-**I'm glad you were nitpick-free last time, but I think you will find something wrong with this chapter, I just know it. There is something about it that I want to fix, I just can't figure out what it is. I know you'll tell me about it, but still, I am having a hard time with this one…_

_**XxtearsxofxbloodxandxhatexX-**I'm SO happy that you like it! I have never seen Le Miserables, but I have heard of it, and it seems really sad (thus, the title), but I still wanna see it!_

_**Robin+Starfire-**no, it's not all that sad, I do it too. It makes writing the story a lot easier._

Well, that's all for reviews! Now, I am really flattered to those who like the story as much as they do, and I'm really happy for that. You guys make me feel happy!

Also, I would like to point out that the italicized bold lettering is the Phantom singing. And when both singing parts are on the same line, it means they are singing at the same time.

And, yes, I am finally getting back to the story now….

* * *

Kori looked blindly at the tall man holding her hand. He had a long, black cape, with bits and pieces shredded on the end. He had piercing eyes that she could never quite describe for a color; all she could tell was the immense emotion emitting from them. He also had black hair that she never paid attention to. But what struck out in her mind of him most of all was his pale, white mask. She was never quite sure, but if she looked close enough, she could see a long, thin layer of red line going across his left cheek in the shape of an X. It always intrigued her, but she always ignored it.

The mask covered almost all of his face, from his forehead down to his nose. Below his nose was visible skin, and a mouth that she could see, as he spoke to her. The half of his face that was visible looked like that of any other man. From what she could see, he looked completely normal, only with the white mask covering the top half of his face.

He kept a firm but gentle grip on her frail hand as he swiftly walked her through a series of winding pathways and passages. For the first time she caught a good look at her dark surroundings.

She had no idea that her school had so many underground hallways, and all made of dark grey brick and stone. Her school itself had been made many years ago, in the early 1800's. Her World History teacher would always tell her that these tunnels were made for runaway slaves to escape through. The tunnels went over a mile or two, expanding past the school grounds, but the real estate owners considered it school property. Her teacher told of how the old building, after many years, lost its use of escape routs, so it was left undisturbed and unnoticed. Because of this, water would drain into some of the large clearings that would be entered, making it somewhat of an underground lake, with giant walls surrounding.

Many students tried searching for the pathways, but they had been so well hidden throughout the school, not one teenager or teacher was able to sneak in to really see it for themselves. This gave the underground place a sort of ghostlike reputation.

Kori breathed heavily in the dank air. He was beginning to walk faster tugging her gently along with him, down and down and further still.

"_How far do these things go?"_ Kori wondered, looking about herself uneasily.

She then suddenly lost all strain of thought as she saw the Phantom look into her eyes. She felt her brain suddenly go blank as she let him lead her further and further into the darkness, a light still in his other hand to lead them.

"_In sleep he sang to me,  
In dreams he came."_

Her voice was unusually deep, not normal sounding for a usual soprano. She stared in wonder as her darker side of her voice flowed from her mouth.

"_That voice which calls to me,  
And speaks my name."_

She suddenly changed her mood, seeming to slip ever so slightly back to the reality that she now stood in.

"_And do I dream again?  
For now I find  
The Phantom of the Opera is here,  
Inside my mind."_

She stopped singing, and suddenly felt an energy source leave her momentarily. She felt droopy and did not want to move, for fear of tiring herself more. She then heard the ghostly voice sing out to her, just as her energy had failed her. As he sung, she began to move again, continuing to walk with him.

"**_Sing once again with me,  
Our strange duet.  
My power over you…"_**

He paused and spun around, seeing the girl looking all about her. He gently stroked her neck, slowly moving her chin to turn and face him. She obeyed easily, and he smiled.

"…**_Grows stronger yet."_**

The girl suddenly widened her eyes in realization of her immediate submission and jolted her head and eyes downward, to make sure he did not think he had complete control over her. Although she obviously had no say in that.

"**_And though you turn from me,  
To glance behind,"_**

He made a sort of a frown that indicated temporary defeat, but it wouldn't last long. He led her further.

"**_The Phantom of the Opera is there,"_**

He said this loudly and almost superiorly, as if to teach her to mind him. He brought her up to walk at the same pace as him, so that they were walking side-by-side. He then brought his left hand to the side of her cheek near her ear, so that his arm was almost around her shoulders. He moved his hand over her temple and through her hair, causing her to roll her eyes involuntarily. She moved her head backwards towards his touch, exposing her neck. He then gently let her go, releasing her hair and smiling down at his prey before him.

"…**_Inside your mind."_**

He led her slowly to a large clearing with a more pond-like appearance. A small boat waited for her, as usual. There was no other way to cross the water, so he had made the boat for her. How he made it, she never knew, she was too entranced by his touch.

He placed her in, took a giant oar, and began to row the little boat toward another dark tunnel. She was sitting towards the front of the boat, with him standing directly behind her, rowing. She felt cold shivers run up and down her spine as they passed through, yet another dark path of brick and stone. She looked over her shoulder cautiously to look at the man, to see him facing a different direction. He looked so much calmer when he wasn't looking at her.

She took advantage of his looking the other way as a use of examining his profile. By what she could tell, he seemed awfully young, looking no older than his early twenties. There was an eerie sense about him that terrified her, but not a bone in her body refused to trust him.

"_Those who have seen your face  
Draw back in fear."_

In hearing her voice the Phantom turned his head back towards her turned one. He said nothing for the moment, but let a mischievous smile tug at his lips.

"_I am the mask you wear,"_

He finally spoke, his voice having a touch of arrogance.

"**_It's me they hear."_**

Kori turned back around to her normal position, facing forward as she had earlier. And at every note that escaped her lips, he would be in perfect unison.

"_My spirit and my voice,"_

"_**Your spirit and your voice,"**_

"_In one combined."_

"**_In one combined."_**

"_The Phantom of the Opera is here," _

"**_The Phantom of the Opera is there,"_**

She then turned again and cocked her head confusedly. Her confused brain was trying to comprehend how he could sing the exact notes as she could without her consent. She ignored it, and turned back around.

"_Inside my mind." _

"**_Inside your mind."_**

Kori shifted her eyes nervously across the hallow walls. She could vividly remember her frightened friends tell tales of horror of this man. She remembered their worried reminders of what she knew was true. If she listened close, she could still hear their confused cries of anguish.

"_He's there,  
The Phantom of the Opera.  
Beware,  
The Phantom of the Opera…"_

She snapped back to reality when she heard the ghostly figure sing again.

"**_In all your fantasies,  
You always knew"_**

He put one of his hands on her shoulder, causing her to move her head to look at his hand.

"**_That man and mystery,"_**

She turned her head upwards to look into his darkly shadowed face.

"_Were both in you."_

She saw something move across the walls and jerked her head in that direction, loosing her eye contact with him. She shivered again, drawing her arms closer to her chest.

"_And in this labarynth,"_

"_**And in this labarynth,"**_

"_Where night is blind,"_

" _**Where night is blind,"**_

"_The Phantom of the Opera is here,"_

"_**The Phantom of the Opera is there,"**_

"_Inside my mind." _

"**_Inside your mind."_**

They went down further, further, and further still, and Kori began to feel slightly light-headed. She clutched her head in one of her hands, trying not to pass out.

"**_Sing, my Angel of Music,"_**

Her drooping eyes soon flickered wide, unblinking. She lost all sense of wooziness and focused her face straight ahead of her. Kori suddenly dropped her hand from her forehead and loosened her tightened shoulders. She barely moved.

"_He's there,  
the Phantom of the Opera…"_

She felt his cold hand on her shoulder as she began to sing loudly and strangely, as if under his influence. Her high voice echoed malevolently off the long and endless walls of stone. The longer she sang, the more ghostly her own voice began to become. And every note she sang, she went higher. Some would say the highness she was reaching wasn't healthy for a singer of her age. She could now no longer sense what was going on, but only felt a cold hand stroking her neck.

"**_Sing for me…"_**

She continued her outlandish song, as she neared yet another clearing. There were candles scattered aimlessly as the only source of light, a stolen organ in the middle of it all. She wondered where he had found it, but never really thought of it before. The place had long curtains, sheets of mattresses, and cloth strewn about. It was his sanctuary, his home, his lair. He had fashioned it to his will, setting cushions and stolen dressers where he wished.

"**_Sing, my Angel of Music…"_**

She neared the landing as he kept his hand on her neck, reaching her throat. She only sang louder. He tightened his grip on her neck as his own eyes began to roll as her voice became smoother and viciously beautiful.

"**_Sing for ME!"_**

He impulsively clutched her neck harder than he should have, causing her final note to sound almost unnatural. She yelled at the top of her voice, almost like a scream, partly from his influence and partially from the pain. He released her throat and stepped out of the boat, onto the landing. She gasped and grabbed her neck at his release. She took big gusts of breath to breathe at a normal pace. After a surge of shivers, she raised her confused green eyes to the man. She looked straight into the masked face of her teacher, as he held out his hand to her, to help her out of the boat. She reluctantly reached out her shaking hand, and he took it.

"**_I have brought you  
To the seat of sweet music's throne."_**

He lead her hand up to the landing, and looked around, seeking her approval of what she saw.

"**_To this kingdom where all must pay homage to music,  
Music."_**

He dropped her hand without realization, and as he walked around, passing candle after candle, he looked back at her obliviously beautiful face.

"**_You have come here,  
For one purpose and one alone."_**

He walked back over to her, took both her hands into his, and gazed into her eyes, which now looked close to lifeless. She did not have the logical part in her mind to tell her to look away.

"**_Since the moment I first heard you sing,  
I have needed you with me to serve me,  
To sing,  
For my music,"_**

He breathed a deep breath, and never left his eyes from hers.

"**_My music…"_**

He suddenly felt the impulse to look somewhere else. An awkward feeling of embarrassment swept him. He soon overcame it, and forced himself not to look at her body. He finally looked back at her face, changing his mood. He walked on into the candlelit place of wonder, and she followed him, every step tracing his own.

"**_Night-time sharpens,  
Hightens each senstation…  
Darkness stirs,  
And wakes imagination…"_**

She stopped following him, breathing heavily.

"**_Silently the senses  
Abandon their defenses…"_**

He closed his eyes for a short second, then fully realizing that she was no longer walking behind him. He turned around, and began to approach her, the longing in his eyes becoming almost too much for Kori to stand.

In a split second the man had let down his guard of controlling the girl, his own desires clouding his brain from focusing on much else.

In this moment, her brain partly became aware of where she was, and why she was there. Her eyes enlarged and she began to back away slowly, realizing all too much at one time.

The Phantom stopped in his tracks as he saw her reaction. He evened his eyes to an almost blank expression and continued to progress towards the girl. She continued to step back, but at a much slower pace. Her pace soon came to a stop as her worried eyes involuntarily made contact with his. The minute she met his gaze she was almost rendered senseless, her open eyes the only sign showing she wasn't unconscious.

His eyes held a sort of victory in them as a small triumphant smile spread across his face. He walked up to her, but this time, she didn't resist.

"**_Slowly, gently  
Night unfurls its splendor…"_**

He was very near her now, and gently reached his hands around the sides of her arms, drawing her closer to his body.

"**_Grasp it, sense it,  
Tremulous and tender…"_**

Although she was succumbed in his trance, she still impulsively turned her head towards the opening of the clearing where they had entered. Her eyelids sagged at the sight of the exit, almost in a longing for it now.

The Phantom did not like this at all; any persuasion to promote her leaving was a bad one. He made a slight frown, and gently put his hand to the side of her face looking onward. He brought the hand towards him, moving her cheek back in his direction, causing their eyes to link once more.

"**_Turn your face away  
From the garish light of day,  
Turn your thoughts away  
From cold unfeeling light,  
And listen to  
The music of the night…"_**

Kori tried to look away from him again, partially for her safety, but found that, no matter how hard she tried, she could not tear her eyes from his face. He sounded so…peaceful, and…entrancing. She listened on in wonder.

"**_Close your eyes and surrender  
To your darkest dreams!  
Purge your thoughts  
Of the life you knew before!"_**

He gracefully spun her around, so that her back was against his stomach. He held her by the arms as she fluttered her eyes closed. But a few moments later her eyes opened, still dreary. In response to this he took his hand up to her face and gently stroked her eyelids downward, causing them to stay closed.

"**_Close your eyes,  
Let your spirit start to soar!"_**

The ghostly man then wrapped his arms around her and clutched her body to his softly, still with his stomach to her back.

"**_And you'll live  
As you've never lived before…"_**

Having her held to him, he sunk her to the floor slowly, remaining in the position which they stood. He now sat on the ground with her, his arms still enveloped around her. He began to whisper into her ear, seductively taunting her in her state of control.

"**_Softly, deftly,  
Music shall surround you…"_**

The specter proceeded to stroke her arms up and down, her having no more will power to stop him.

"**_Feel it, hear it,  
Closing in around you…"_**

He brought both hands to her head, swaying it back and forth, his fingers sinking into her vibrantly ruby hair. Her eyes remained closed, and she didn't even try to open them again.

"**_Open up your mind,  
Let your fantasies unwind,  
In this darkness which  
You know you cannot fight,"_**

He brought her head backwards, near his, and whispered into her left ear.

"**_The darkness of  
The music of the night…"_**

He then suddenly released her head from his grasp, sending her eyes flying open. He put one arm around her right shoulder, crossing his own arm across her neck.

"**_Let your mind start a journey  
Through a strange new world!  
Leave all thoughts  
Of the world you knew before!"_**

He moved his arm from her neck to rest around her arms again. The ghost then sunk her lower, so that the top of her head lay right beneath his chin he clutched her tighter, almost seemingly in the form of a hug-like motion.

"**_Let your soul  
Take you where you long to be!"_**

He smoothly moved her from where she sat, and cradled her in his arms. She seemed so frail in that moment; so pure and innocent. Her big green eyes looked up at him, the windows of her soul revealing sadness, an attribute he had not noticed before. He looked down at her lovingly in his arms.

"**_Only then  
Can you belong to me…"_**

Just as she was about to close her eyes again, he swooped her upward, making her head fall back as he swept her up. He put her into the position they were before, only she was closer to his side this time.

"**_Floating, falling,  
Sweet intoxication!"_**

His lustful eyes wandered up and down her body. He snaked his arm around her thin waist, and caressed her thigh. He swept his hand up and down her torso, each touch threatening to block out her consciousness completely.

"**_Touch me, trust me,  
Savor each sensation!  
Let the dream begin,  
Let your darker side give in  
To the power of  
The music that I write,"_**

He cradled her into his arms again, but this time kept one arm holding her up over the floor. He stared longingly into her eyes, hoping she would respond.

"**_The power of  
The music of the night…"_**

As he kept his arm wrapped around her back, he did not falter his gaze into her eyes. As he kept her immovable he slowly brought her body backwards, nearing the floor. He inched his mouth closer and closer to hers, praying she wouldn't move. Just as their lips were about to meet, her eyes rolled back and her head fell backwards, falling with the quickness of a second, only centimeters from hitting the cold ground.

He picked her up bridal style, her consciousness long gone. Realizing that he had put too much submission into her mind while controlling her, the intense pressure of it had knocked her out. He cursed his horrible timing, but compensated for his bad luck with the chance of getting to put to sleep the woman of his desire.

He sighed at her limp figure in his arms. He gently carried her over to a large cushioned swan bed that he had stolen just for her. He placed her in gingerly, stroking her cheek one last time before leaving her to sleep in peace.

"**_You alone  
Can make my song take flight.  
Help me make  
The music of the night…"

* * *

_**

Aaaw, that song is just so…BEAUTIFUL! "The Phantom of the Opera" is my favorite song in the musical/movie, so I am really happy I got to write it!


	6. Stranger Than You Dreamt It

I am surprised how fast I'm moving along with this…I'm usually a LOT slower at writing my stories than I am with this one. Maybe it's because I enjoy it so much…well, I don't know, but still.

_**Jaina 12-**oooh I wanna know what your favorite song is!_

_**TitansFan-**THEY get to sing Masquerade! SO NOT FAIR! Really, that's weird, because in my chorus class, just today, we were practicing for our grand finale for our concert, and I said to my friend that it would be so awesome if we got to sing Masquerade instead of the one we were singing! That is so weird! But still…poo on them, for getting to do it and not us…I love "The King and I", that's another one of my favorite musicals, too, although Phantom of the Opera is by far my favorite._

_**SteakMeSpike04-**thank you so much! I never knew we had as much in common until you said it, but yeah, that's weird! About Red X, you will have to find that out in later chapters. I'm so happy you like it! Even though this chapter isn't very long, I still hope you like it as much as the rest!_

_**Robin+Starfire-**thank you! This chapter is a bit short, but I hope you like it all the same._

_**Another Freakish Fan-**oh, trust me, you and I both know that Robin will get his time with Starfire. That's what "All I ask of You" is for…Anyways, my friend is learning how to play that song on the piano too! She said it was hard also. I really wanna know what it sounds like, so hopefully my friend can figure out how to do it so I can hear it!_

_**Robin and Star fan-**thank you! Don't worry, it's okay to be obsessed…I am, at least…_

_**Laurashrub-**ooh, I'm sooo relieved that you thought it was good! You're like the main critic reviewer of mine, because you see the things I need to correct, which is a good thing. And if there was nothing wrong with my other chapter, than that makes me really happy!_

_**EmeraldShine-**aaaw thank you so much! I hope this chapter was "as good" as the previous one, since it is a lot shorter than I wanted it to be._

_**Rose-**in truth, everyone who has read this fanfic so far has seen either the movie, or the live performance, or both. No need for pity, believe me, most of them sing along to the music like you do…But yes! Gerard Butler (who plays the Phantom in the movie) OMG! He's just soooo hot! I can't get over it! My favorite songs (in order) are: Phantom of the Opera, the Overture, The Point of No Return, Wishing You Were Somehow Here again, and Down Once More. One of my favorite parts of the movie was the beginning, too! When the Overture was playing, and everything turned into color, I was just…wow. It was awesome._

_**StarfireFowl-**thank you, and yes, the soundtrack rocks! I hope you get to buy it soon, I just love it!

* * *

_

The ghostly Phantom sat silently at his giant organ, while Kori slept. He was in furious concentration as he played the organ with intense focus and energy. He paused several times, and bent down to write what he had composed. He would then start this all over again, getting more concentrated each time.

Another stolen object sat on the organ which the Phantom let out his fury on the world. The all familiar music-box shaped as a barrel organ stood a few feet away from the masked man. The peculiar monkey in Persian robes that had a stare that could unnerve the bravest of the bold began to gently play its little cymbals. Its haunting song caused the teenage girl to twitch in her sleep. Each second it played she became visibly more and more restless in her unconsciousness. She tossed her head, hot tears formed in her closed eyes…

Kori rammed her head up from where it lay in a giant thrust that caused her to swoon. She was on a soft cushiony object, but her head throbbed in pain. She threw her palm to her forehead, and found it cold with freezing sweat. The cold, damp temperature combined with her migraine caused her to shake and shiver uncontrollably.

And for some strange reason, Kori could not think straight.

"_Where am I?" _she thought, _"what am I doing here?"_

She scanned her mind, trying to remember what had happened the previous night. This only caused her head to confusedly hurt more. She swung her head back onto the cushion and closed her eyes, in attempt to stop the pain. After a few minutes of still silence, she had gotten the head throbs under control, and she slowly raised her head to normal level.

Careful not to upset her migraine, she got up slowly and tried harder to remember the night before. She walked past a wall of cloth, mirrors, and dresser walls and her clouded brain suddenly began to clear, but at a slow, unsettling pace.

"_I remember there was mist.  
__Swirling mist upon a vast glassy lake…  
__There were candles all around,  
__And on the lake there was a boat.  
__And in the boat  
__There was a man…"_

She looked at the boat, back at the ghastly water, and over the walls which consumed her in darkness. She then looked over to the man, who did not notice her waking. She silently made her way over to him without a sound, and reached for his face. He sensed her presence and nudged her hand away with his shoulder.

"_Who was that shape  
__In the shadows?  
__Whose is the face  
__In the mask?"_

Kori then softly placed a fingertip on his jawline, daring him to move away. He did not. She inched her fingers to his pale white mask, and took it off in a swift movement of a second.

Feeling his mask leave his face, his eyes widened in anger. He spun around, jumped up, sprung out at her, and she, for the first time, saw a true glimpse of his real face. She gasped in fear at it, and stumbled backwards. The Phantom approached her like a flash of lightning and rounded on her in a vicious attack of fury, knocking the surprised girl to the ground.

"_**Damn you!  
**__**You little prying Pandora!  
**__**You little demon!  
**__**Is this what you wanted to see?  
**__**Curse you!  
**__**You little lying Delilah!  
**__**You little viper!  
**__**Now you cannot ever be free!  
**__**Damn you…  
**__**Curse you…"**_

In a flash of a moment he brought up his hand to strike her in his rampage of madness. Kori stood, dumbfounded, lying on the cold, rock ground, cowering in fear. Her crimson hair fell helplessly over her now pale face. She held up her limp arm as her only source of defense. She squeezed her emerald eyes shut, expecting the worst.

But when he was about to hit her, he stopped himself. He stood for a few seconds, quivering slightly, staring at her frailty. He recollected his shaking hand back to his body in a motion of sadness and despair. He knelt down shakily onto the ground next to her, covering his face with his hands. He looked her in the eye with true anxiety.

"**_Stranger than you dreamt it,  
_****_Can you even dare to look  
_**_**Or bear to think  
**__**Of me:  
**__**This loathsome gargoyle  
**__**Who burns in Hell,  
**__**But secretly  
**__**Yearns for Heaven,  
**__**Secretly…  
**__**Secretly…"**_

He reached out his free hand to touch her face, and she flinched once again. He inched closer to her to try to help her forgive his outburst. He moved slowly closer to her on the ground but she did not move. She still sat, the tears as if in midair, still hung in her eyes, refusing to fall.

"_**But, Kori…  
**__**Fear can turn to love,  
**__**You'll learn to see  
**__**To find the man  
**__**Behind the monster:  
**__**This repulsive carcass  
**__**Who seems a beast,  
**__**But secretly,  
**__**Dreams of beauty,  
**__**Secretly…  
**__**Secretly…**_

She suddenly felt weak again, as if she was about to faint again in her state of delirium.

"_**Oh, Kori…"**_

He reached his hand out once again, but this time wanting the mask in return. She completely drowned in his depressed eyes, as she submissively handed the mask to him with intense care. He placed it back upon his face, his confidence and sureness returning the instant it was restored to his features.

He stood up, and offered a hand to Kori. She took it, and got up off the ground. She stood by him a few seconds, then he softly grabbed her wrist and tugged her back towards the boat. She followed without resistance.

"_**Come, we must return.  
**__**Those two fools  
**__**Who run my theatre  
**__**Will be missing you."

* * *

**_

The cast party that night was a huge rush of excitement and thrill. The cast, crew, and stagehands were all having the night of their lives. Half the room was filled with dancing and song, while the other was covered with laughs and chatter. The ballerinas scurried around the room in a surge of hyper energy. Jinny helped herself to cup after cup of tangy punch and sweet refreshments, every hour or so wondering why her friend could not be there.

She looked to her left to see Victor belch at the top of his lungs. She sprayed her punch out of her mouth in a fit of laughter, along with the other half of the people there. She then diverted her attention to the opposite side of the room, where Mark stood, also in a scourge of silliness, showing off for the other ballerinas.

One of the black fabric tablecloths had been carelessly tied around his neck in the form of a cloak, and a piece of rope that twisted in his large fingers.

"What is that supposed to be?" said one of the ballerinas, giggling at his appearance.

"It's the ghost's lethal weapon…don't you know what that is?"

"No…" said the giddy girl as she blushed once again.

"What ghost?" asked another eager ballet girl. Almost all the ballerinas had their hyper attention on him, as he acted out for their entertainment.

"What ghost? You say to mean you don't know about the urban legend of this very school?" Mark cocked an eyebrow flirtatiously at the girl.

"No…I have not…" another one blushed.

The burly boy chuckled to himself. He drew back out the thick rope and displayed it to the girls.

"Well, if none of you know about the ancient opera ghost, I guess I will have to tell you…"

The ballerinas, in turn, went through another rush of giggles, then looked back at the tall, muscular boy.

"_Like yellow parchment  
__Is his skin…  
__A great black hole served as  
__The nose that never grew…"_

He held up the rope again to them, loosely hanging it around his throat.

"And to defend yourself against this evil creature, you must put your hand here…" and he placed his hand between his neck and the rope that he had tied around it. He pulled the rope through his fingers and away from his neck.

The girls squealed in delight and clapped furiously for him. They had definitely had one-too many cups of punch. They quieted down for Mark as he spoke again.

"_You must be always on your guard,  
__Or he will catch you  
__With his magical lasso…"_

He then caught one of the girls around the neck with the rope and with a flirt-like motion, and swung the girl towards him. She giggled at this, and they all began to laugh heartily.

Their laughter was cut short by Raven, who had swiftly walked over to where the action stood. She had observed in disgust, and turned on Mark sternly.

"_Those who speak  
__Of what they know  
__Find, to late,  
__That prudent silence is wise.  
__Mark, you fool,  
__Hold your tongue,  
__He will burn you  
__With the heat of his eyes…" _

And with that she silently turned on her heel and left the scene as swiftly as she had come, leaving all who saw speechless.

* * *

Yeah, sorry it was so short, but I have been kindof busy lately. Hope you all liked it! 


	7. Notes

Hey, back!

_**Another Freakish Fan-**yay! I'm again glad you liked. By "a LOT" I'm guessing you really liked it, which totally makes my day, believe me! And, about the dying thing, well, I can't tell you that one. You will just have to find out…_

_**SteakMeSpike04-**offense, never. Boy, do you like abbreviations! Well, "WYWSHA" as you so fondly put (lol) is one of my favorite songs as well. Besides The Point of No Return of course, but that one aside. I can't wait to do both!_

_**Robin and Star Fan-**heehee, thanks. I will try to update faster than I have been lately. Normally it's been taking me FOREVER to get chapters done!_

_**EmeraldShine-**thank you so much! I want that book! I just don't know where to find it! But yeah, since I only saw the movie once I've been DYING to see it again, meaning I want to buy it on DVD. But, luckily, I found out that it comes out on DVD on May 3! Even though it is kinda far away, its not that bad!_

_**Grace-**well, thank you! It is weird that stuff like that happens to people. Although my life almost completely revolves around cruel irony, I still manage to take super slow in updating chapters, so bear with me!_

_**TitansFan-**why, why, WHY? Why on earth do THEY get to sing those! All we get is stupid patriotic songs, (which I have nothing against my country in any way, mind you) but they are just sometimes not as interesting as songs from musicals (although we DID get to sing "I'm a Believer," but that's not from a musical)._

_**Laurashrub-**you must tell me NOW! WHERE WAS THAT MISSPELLED WORD! I must find it! And I have tried! But I still can't find it! Sorry, I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to some things, this being one of them (obviously). But yeah, glad you liked. And I hope this one is as good! And, also, I absolutely LOVE that "And what is it that we meant to have wrote—written…" line. It makes me laugh every time I hear it!_

_**StarfireFowl-**thank you! And lets remember that some of the ballerinas may be a little on the stupid side, along with the fact that they had WAY too many cups of punch. But, still, hope you like this one!_

_**Jaina 12-**you got to see it in New York? So not fair! I usually see all my "Broadway Plays" at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. That place is soooooo pretty!

* * *

_

Victor twitched his eye nervously as his mind slowly shredded away with Gar's pestering paces around the flyer-filled hallways. Gar's footsteps were in exact sync with one another, trotting round and round in circles. Victor was in vain trying to read the newspaper to find anything about the show the previous night. Gar's footsteps were becoming quicker, and it was driving Victor insane.

"Could you…?" Victor impatiently looked at his friend.

"Sorry," the clown of the junior class sighed, almost as if out of breath from his anticipation, and his pacing, "it's just, kinda nerve-racking."

"I hear ya…" Victor looked glumly back to the newspaper, hoping to find good news, "I really do…"

They were both nervous, of course. Kori hadn't gone home that night, and everyone was looking for her. Their lead diva acquitted, and their replacement missing, the first thought in their minds was that they would have to stop the theatre productions. Both truly enjoyed theatre, watching, not performing, but both were mostly concerned with the money issue. Although raised for the school, they would get credit for all they accomplished. Not ones to be cocky, the boys still liked attention. Now they were even more concerned, for if they closed the theatre they would lose the true joy they experienced when working with music. Neither would ever admit it, though.

Gar stopped pacing again and stared at the wall. He stood there for a few seconds, pondering his own thoughts.

"HA!" Victor said in almost triumph, "I finally found something!"

Gar then perked up his unusually pointy ears to the jock, trying to lean over his buff shoulder to see what was being read. Victor read aloud.

"'_Mystery,  
__After gala night',  
__It says 'Mystery  
__Of soprano's flight!'  
_'_Mystified,'  
__Baffled writers say,  
_'_We are mystified,  
__We suspect foul play!'"_

Victor threw down the paper and rolled his eyes. This was certainly not what he wanted to hear. Especially in the papers. He turned back to Gar and stood up.

"_Bad news on soprano fee,  
__First Kiona now Kori.  
__Still, at least the seats get sold,  
__Gossip's worth its weight in gold…"_

Victor then walked towards Gar and they both headed down the hallway towards the auditorium. The spot being half way across the campus, they made a few stops on their way. Gar walked a bit quicker than Victor did, and he listened to Gar as he spoke up.

"_What a way to run a business!  
__Spare me these unending trials!  
__Half your cast disappears,  
__But the crowd still cheers!  
__Opera!  
__To hell with Gluck and Handel,  
__It's a scandal  
__That'll pack 'em in the aisles!"_

The two boys arrived at an empty hallway full of lockers. Victor's locker being on one side and Gar's being on the other, the two went to the opposite sides of the hall, still within speaking range. Victor slammed his locker open, with a few books falling out. He rammed his fist into the nearby locker.

"_Damnable!  
__Will they all walk out?  
__This is damnable!"_

"_Victor, please don't shout."_

"_It's publicity!  
__And the take is vast!  
__Free publicity!"_

Gar looked helplessly at his angered friend as he opened his own locker.

"_But we have no cast…"_

Victor suddenly calmed down at this. He took a quick glance at the floor and found something that had fallen out of his locker. A letter.

"_But, Gar,  
__have you seen the queue?"_

He saw Gar pull out a letter from his own locker as well.

"_Oh, it seems you've got one, too…"_

"But…Gar stuttered vaguely, "I just fixed my lock last week. No one has ever been able to get in my locker before." He looked on, stupefied, at his open locker. He checked all sides, searching for a picked entry. None. He looked over to Vic, hoping for an answer in return.

"Hey…" Vic stared wide-eyed at his friend, "Same here! No one has ever gotten into my locker either! And look…" he pointed to Gar's letter, "they both have the same symbol on the front."

They both looked at the ghastly symbol. A blood-red skull. It was in the exact spot on both letters. Gar looked worriedly at Victor.

"What if…they're from the same person."

"Open yours first." Victor said quickly.

"Say what? No way, man…you go first…"

"Naw, man, you…"

"NO freaking way! I'm not going first!"

"Fine then!" Victor threw up his hands, "I'll go first, if you're SO concerned!"

Victor took the faded envelope in his hands. He felt his skin shake as he carefully opened the flap, and took out the neatly written letter. It was strange, he thought, that it was written in red ink, which bled almost right through the paper. He read aloud in a shakier voice than he expected.

"_Dear Victor,  
__What a charming gala!  
__Kori enjoyed a great success!  
__We were hardly bereft  
__When Kiona left.  
__Otherwise,  
__The chorus was entrancing,  
__But the dancing  
__Was a lamentable mess!"_

Gar took his out as well, not as afraid, now that Victor had already broken the ice. He read his aloud after Victor.

"_Dear Garfield,  
__Just a brief reminder;  
__My salary has not been paid.  
__Send it care of the ghost,  
__By return of post,  
__PTO;  
__No one likes a debtor,  
__So it's better  
__If my orders are obeyed!"_

They looked at eachother strangely, each wondering the same. They continued to make their way to the auditorium, and they said together,

"_Who would have the gall  
__To send this?  
__Someone with a puerile brain!"_

Victor took both of the letters and examined them closely.

"_These are both signed "OG"…"_

Gar almost snatched the letter back into his hand, to check for himself.

"_Who the hell is he?"_

In a flash of an instant, the two teens shot their heads in unison towards the back wall behind them, to find nothing there. They nervously recognized in unison what it meant.

"_Opera Ghost!"_

Gar turned back around and made his way in the original direction, now getting impatient.

"_It's really not amusing!"_

Vic nodded his head, quickly catching up.

"_He's abusing our position!"_

Gar turned his head again.

"_In addition he wants money!  
__He's a funny sort of spective…"_

They both angrily made their way into the auditorium doorway.

"…_to expect a large retainer!  
__Nothing plainer,  
__He is clearly quite insane!"_

A boom was heard that caused the two teens to jump from behind. Richard exited from the doorway the two had just entered. Stiffly held in his pale hand was the same looking letter as the one the latters had received. He brought the note up to eye level and yelled worriedly.

"_Where is she!"_

Victor turned abruptly, surprised with his sudden appearance.

"_You mean Kiona?"  
_"_I mean Miss Anders!  
__Where IS she?"_

Gar backed away slowly.

"_Well, how should we know?"_

Richard stomped closer to them, each time the two boys would inch another step back. They knew well not to mess with this boy.

"_I want an answer!  
__I take it that  
__You sent me this note?"_

"_What's all this nonsense?"_

Gar threw up his hands, and stared in wide-eyed impatience at the visitor.

"_Don't look at us!"_

Richard stared back, just as angry as them.

"_She's not with you, then?"_

"_Of course not!"_

"_We're in the dark…"_

Richard glared. He didn't believe this at all. He stepped another angry stomp towards them.

"_Guys, don't argue.  
__Isn't this  
__The letter you wrote?"_

Gar impatiently grabbed the letter from Richard's cold hand. He didn't look close enough to realize that it was from the same person who sent theirs.

"_And what is it  
__That we're meant to have wrote?"_

Victor nudged his friend's shoulder slightly.

"—Written…" he said in almost a whisper.

"Ugh…" Gar rolled his eyes, again, becoming more impatient.

Victor then snatched the loosely held note from Gar's hands and sprawled it out. He read it aloud so all could hear.

"_Do not fear for Miss Anders.  
__The Angel of Music  
__Has her under his wing.  
__Make no attempt to see her again."_

Realizing what he had just read, Victor gaped at Gar, and Gar did the same. Their mouths fell flat while trying to understand what it meant. Their stammering brainfreeze was cut short with Richard's words of worry.

"If you didn't write it, who did?"

"Well," Victor said, "Whoever did write it, we're pretty darn sure he don't like _you_ very much…"

All Richard returned with this obvious statement was a blank glance to the opposite wall. His eyes suddenly drooped into a look of despair. The jock and the prankster saw this, and, Richard still being one of their best friends, sought to comfort him.

"It's okay man," Victor said, more calm now, "it'll be okay. She's probably doing fine."

"I'm just…really concerned."

"We could tell…" said Gar, who had now chosen that it was a better time to be near him.

Suddenly all three boys jumped again to hear the door swing open again with a loud slam. Kiona stood in the doorway as light streamed through her pitch black hair and into her cold, hate-filled eyes. The boys almost cowered at her angered face that had been twisted into fury. With the speed of a deathly light she shot into their direction. All three boys backed away a few steps, moving as quickly as they could before she could pounce on them.

"_WHERE IS HE?"_

Victor shakily stood in front of his two cowering friends.

"_Ah, welcome back…"_

The haughty senior ignored him, and prepared to shove him aside.

"_Your precious patron,  
__Where IS he?"_

Richard, common sense ringing in his mind, finally wondered why she was angry with him. He looked at her strangely and with the same hostility as she now showed. He spat back at her.

"_What is it now?"_

"_I have your letter!  
__A letter which I rather resent!"_

Gar swung his head in Richard's direction.

"_And did you send it?"_

Richard sat, agape at his friend.

"_Of course not!"_

Victor took Richard's defense, coming from behind him to approach the angry girl.

"_As if he would!"_

Kiona swerved her head at Richard and eyed him venomously.

"_You didn't send it?"_

"_Of course not!"_

Gar confusedly looked from Kiona to Richard, wondering who would hit him hardest if he objected to either.

"_What's going on…?"_

Kiona ignored him as well. She kept her hostile attention on Richard, and kept her haughty tone.

"_You dare to tell me,  
__That this is not  
__The letter you sent!"_

She impatiently tossed her arm out to reveal the letter, exact in detail as the others. The teens gawked at it, wondering how many people had received notes such as these. Richard interrupted the confused silence.

"_And what is it  
__That I meant to have sent?"_

He took the letter from her, just as hastily as she had presented it. He opened it out and read it aloud, just as the others had done.

"_Your days  
__At this auditorium are numbered.  
__Kori Anders will be singing  
__On your behalf  
__In the next musical.  
__Be prepared  
__For a great misfortune,  
__Should you attempt to take her place."_

He closed it, intrigued with its words. Gar and Victor looked at eachother, obviously tired of the too many surprises that were being sprung upon them. They both walked towards the stage.

_Far too many notes for my taste!  
__And most of them about Kori!  
__All we heard since we came  
__Is Miss Anders' name..."_

The two boys were cut short, for Raven and Jinny suddenly appeared on the stage. Raven looked out to the four frazzled teenagers and said in her completely controlled voice,

"_Miss Anders has returned."_

Victor, now very tired of the overly immense amount of drama, retorted dryly to the Goth.

"_I trust her midnight oil  
__Is well and truly burned."_

Gar spoke up, frantically trying to catch the dark girl's attention.

"_Where precisely is she now?"_

Raven emotionlessly looked at Gar, causing him to blush unwillingly.

"_I thought it best  
__That she went home…"_

Jinny spoke out from behind her.

"_She needed rest."_

Richard pushed his way through the bustling crowd of thespians to reach Raven. He got close enough so that he did not have to yell.

"_May I see her?"_

He looked at her desperately, knowing the answer before the deadpanned ballet instructor could reply.

"_No, Richard,  
__She will see no one."_

Kiona burst Richard rudely aside, and made her way to the girl.

"_Will she sing?  
__Will she sing?"_

"_Here, I have a note…"_

Richard, Gar, and Kiona rushed at her, saying all at once,

"_Let me see it!"_

Victor snatched the letter from the three groping pairs of hands, and looked at them with a strange glance of inferiority.

"…Please!"

He opened the letter and read it to all who wished to hear. Seeing that everyone in the room was lending an ear he figured he should let all in on what the letter contained.

"Gentlemen, I have now sent you several notes of the most amiable nature, detailing how my theatre is to be run…"

"No, duh!" Gar tossed up his hands, rolled his eyes, and listened on.

"…You have not followed my instructions. I shall give you one last chance…  
_Kori Anders has returned to you,  
__And I am anxious that her career should progress.  
__In the new production of "Il Muto",  
__You will therefore cast Kiona as the Pageboy,  
__And put Miss Anders in the role of the Countess.  
__The role which Miss Anders plays  
__Calls for charm and appeal.  
__The role of the Pageboy is silent,  
__Which makes my casting,  
__In a word,  
__Ideal.  
_I shall watch the performance from my normal seat in the balcony, which will be kept empty for me. Should those commands be ignored, a disaster beyond your imagination will accur.  
I remain, Gentlemen,  
Your obedient servant,  
O.G."

* * *

This one was….longer. I don't favor this song over any of the rest, but it takes a LONG time to write! Man! I'll try to update faster next time….I pomise…. 


	8. Prima Donna

Hi!

Again, sorry for taking so long to update. I have a very limited time to devote to my computer, including homework and such. So please, bear with me. On the up-side, usually the longer I take to update, the longer the chapter is, so yay!

_**StakeMeSpike04-**I am so sorry! I did spell your name wrong didn't I? Well, if it makes you feel any better, I feel horrible that I mistook your name for a piece of meat! Forgive me! Heehee, I was beginning to worry myself, it is taking me so long to update. Yay! I'm so glad you think it's 21st century enough. I was worried it would be too much like the real thing. Hope you like this chapter!_

_**StarfireFowl-**thank you! I am sorry it's taking me so long with these chapters…_

_**AnotherFreakishFan-**Thank you! And I agree, if you like dialogue, then "Notes", "Prima Donna", and "Twisted in every way" should be well anticipated._

_**TitansFan-**I know, I could never figure it out either! They always talk so dang fast, its just like whoa, SLOW DOWN! But, yeah, I don't care much for this song either, but that's mainly because it's not as interesting in my point of view._

_**Robin+Starfire-**haha! Yes, it is VERY funny! I agree, the "wrotewritten" line was like the best part, I thought._

_**Laurashrub-**I still can't find that mistake…sheesh, I'm so blind. Well, super happy you liked it! Hope this one is as good!_

_**Robin and Star Fan-**thank you! I hope you like this one, and please pardon my taking so long to update!

* * *

_

"_Kori!"_

Kiona almost screamed in anger at the words being said in the letters. Her tan delicate face was now twisted into an outraged mess of fury.

Victor backed away from her in fear. He rolled his eyes in the other direction so she would not see.

"_Whatever next…?"_

He suddenly shut up as he heard Kiona continue to screech her anger out at all who surrounded.

"_It's all a ploy  
__To help Kori!"_

Gar backed away as well.

"_This is insane…"_

Kori pointed an accusing finger at Richard and yelled all the more.

"_I know who sent this,  
__Richard Grayson, her lover!"_

Richard gave her a look of a person to whom had lost their mind. He gave a bitter snort of sarcasm as he glared at the popular girl.

"_Indeed?"_

He turned to Gar and Victor, a look of true impatience on his face.

"_Can you believe this?"_

Victor in turn, looked to Kiona, trying to keep peace.

"_Kiona…"_

She ignored him.

"_Oh, Xhal!" _

She complained in her native language out loud in frustration; half to the thespians and half to herself.

Gar put his hand to his head.

"_This is a joke…"_

Victor interrupted him, trying to gain back the calmness of the diva.

"_This changes nothing!"_

"_Oh, you Klorbag!"_

"Say what?"

"_Kiona!"_

She flipped her hair haughtily. Her better-than-thou attitude was getting on Richard's last nerve. He walked to the opposite side of the room with a desperate wave of his hand to his two friends, who were now at the dismal mercy of Kiona Anders. Gar quickly ran over to the girl and tried to override her emotional outbursts.

"_You are our star!"_

"_And always will be!" _Victor added. Gar got in front of him.

"_Kiona!"_

"_The man is mad!"_

"_We don't take orders!"_

Victor said aloud so all could hear,

"_Miss Anders will be playing the Pageboy,  
__The silent role…"_

Victor regretted these words. He would much rather have Kiona kicked out of theatre for all eternity for all he cared. But the problem still remained of how people were to continue to see the shows.

The only answer was to keep Kiona in the musicals, for she brought the biggest crowds. Being the most popular girl in school, it was very hard not to give her what she wanted. Nevertheless, the more popular you were, the more people who come to the plays. For this reason Gar and Victor kissed up to her like she was a queen. Gar and Victor said together in front of her,

"_Kiona will be playing the lead!"_

She swiped her hand at the air where they stood. She melodramatically argued that they did not care enough, that they could never win her over.

"_It's useless trying to appease me!  
__You're only saying this to please me!"_

"No dip, Sherlock…." Gar muttered under his breath. Victor elbowed him in the stomach. Kiona did not hear. She merely continued to rant and rave in her native tongue. Gar at once noticed Raven's change in appearance. He glanced at her from a few feet away.

Her eyes were fixated on the trio as if to say she had no way of helping you out of a helpless predicament. Her wise eyes rolled over the two boys and tried to persuade them to change their primitive minds.

"_Who scorn his word,  
__Beware to those…"_

Kiona, in her fit of drama, had not noticed that Raven had spoken. She continued to rant.

"_You have reviled me!"_

At this Raven walked closer to the boys, as to make sure to get their attention. At the same time Richard had walked over to see what stupid fuss the girl was making of this time. Raven looked Gar straight in the eye, and he could not look away.

"_The angel sees,  
__The angel knows…"_

"What?" Gar mouthed in a slow confusion, almost in a whisper. He quickly tried to understand what she meant by this. His thoughts were immediately cut short by the continuation of yelling and questions. He suddenly heard Richard speak in the midst of all the confusion.

"_Why did Kori fly from my arms?"_

He then heard Kiona's annoying trill pipe up above the rest. Sometimes he really regretted that she was a soprano.

"_You have rebuked me!" _she wailed.

Gar and Victor said in a quick pulse at the same time,

"_Kiona, pardon us…"_

"_You have replaced me!"_

They tried once again to calm her.

"_Please, Kiona, we beseech you…"_

Raven shook her porcelain-like head at them, her delicate features showing the full extent of her warning.

"_This hour shall see  
__Your darkest fears…"_

Jinny and Richard walked toward the door. They both said at once,

"_I must see her…"_

"_Abandoned!  
__Deserted!" _

The soprano's high voice was becoming more annoying to all ears who could comprehend her complaints. Raven stood firm where she remained.

"_The angel knows,  
__The angel hears…"_

Richard approached Raven with worried eyes.

"_Where did she go?"_

"_Abandoned!  
__Disgraced!"_

Victor and Gar approached the wailing girl, attempting to make her stop.

"_Kiona, sing for us!  
__Don't be a martyr…"_

Jinny, Richard, and Raven all looked at one another, now all worried.

"_What new surprises lie in store…?"_

They were soon drowned out by Gar and Victor.

"_Our star…!"_

"_I will not…" _Kiona shrugged her shoulder proudly. Victor pointed to the auditorium door in persuasion.

"_Your public needs you!"_

Gar piped up, popping out from behind Victor's tall figure.

"_We need you, too!"_

She simply sniffed her nose in the other direction, obviously unassuaged. She then retorted snottily back at them.

"_Would you not rather have  
__Your precious little ingénue?" _

They looked at eachother, both thinking the same thing. They, in truth, rather _would_ have Kori back instead of this horrible monstrosity. But they both knew who would bring more people. They then looked back at the awaiting senior.

"_Kiona, no!  
__The school wants you!"_

She lowered her airborne nose back down to earth for a short moment. She looked back over to the desperate boys as they approached her once more.

"_Prima Donna,  
__First lady of the stage!  
__Your devotees  
__Are on their knees  
__To implore you!"_

Victor gently touched her shoulders to direct her back toward the stage.

"_Can you bow out  
__When they're shouting your name?"_

Gar came up from behind and walked ahead, pointing out the door.

"_Think of how  
__They all adore you!"_

They moved their heads together and looked at her with biting lips.

"_Prima Donna,  
__Enchant us once again!"_

Victor got onto the stage.

"_Think of your muse…"_

"_And of the queues  
_'_Round the theatre!"_

They both rolled their eyes once again; this was so pathetic, even for them.

"_Can you deny us  
__The triumph in store?  
__Sing, Prima Donna,  
__Once more!"_

Kiona smiled. She registered her diva-like acceptance to those surrounding. The boys sighed in relief that she finally gave in. From then on it would be much easier. Now all they would have to do is continue to suck up to her, and she would do as they wished.

Richard, not paying attention to the situation at hand in any way, walked slowly to the far end of the stage. He saw something jut out from the other props that were lazily hung about. He gingerly picked up. It was the cut rope that Mark had found. He held it to the level of his forehead and eyed it suspiciously.

"_Kori spoke of an angel…"_

He, however, was able to tune out Kiona's loud lulls of pride. He could no longer hear her continuous bursts of obviously expressed triumph.

"_Prima Donna,  
__Your song shall live again!"_

She giggled at her conquered assistants. They, in turn, approached her again.

"_Think of your public!"_

She smiled smugly.

"_You took a snub,  
__But there's a public  
__Who needs you!"_

Raven was also able to block out the girl. She worriedly looked the fallen backdrop up and down. She whispered to herself in concentration.

"_She has heard the voice  
__Of the Angel of Music…"_

Gar and Victor heard this, but ignored it and thought nothing of it. They were far too occupied at the moment.

"_Those who hear your voice  
__Liken you to an angel!"_

Gar flinched at this comment he and his friend had said. He gave a disgusted look to Victor and muttered, "…an angel of hell…"

Kiona did not hear, but Victor did. He gave Gar a deathly glare and unnoticeably mouthed the words, "don't even…". His code was sliced when Kiona continued in her rampage of confidence.

"_Think of their cry  
__Of undying support!"_

Richard, still oblivious of Kiona and her whereabouts, gazed on at the rope. He inspected it, finding that it seemed not to have been cut, but burned…

"_Is this her Angel of Music?"_

Gar, turning away from Kiona, looked to Victor with his trademark toothy smile.

"_We get our opera…"_

Victor caught on immediately, widening his eyes in understanding and smiling as well.

"…_She gets her limelight!"_

Kiona, delirious to the boys' game, chimed in.

"_Follow where the limelight leads you!"_

Jinny walked up behind Richard, and saw the rope. She cocked her head curiously, as to see what it reminded her of. The looped rope, she realized, _did_ look in exact detail identical to a noose. But not just any noose.

"…it's the…" she stuttered blankly pointing at it, causing Richard to turn around. She gaped on in fear, "it's…the Punjab Lasso!" she backed away, not wanting to be near the prop. She looked up, over and around the high tops of the backstage.

"_Is this ghost  
__An angel or a madman?"_

Richard heard her, and repeated her words, pondering them.

"…_Angel or madman?"_

Gar and Victor, of course, still paid attention to neither Jinny nor Richard. They continued on, seeing as they were finally winning the diva over.

"_Leading ladies are a trial!"_

Kiona walked to the opposite side, almost not recognizing their presence, so full was she of herself.

"_Prima Donna,  
__Your song shall never die!" _

Jinny had not moved from her spot. She stood, fixated, with the rope on which hung in Richard's hand.

"_Voice of Hell, or Heaven...?"_

She did not hear Raven come up from behind her. Jinny jumped with a nervous squeak when she heard Raven's dark voice echo out of nowhere.

"_Heaven help you,  
__Those who doubt…"_

Kiona tossed her head, still unphased by the continuous murmurs of her fellow classmates.

"_You will sing again,  
__And to unending ovation!"_

Richard walked over to where Raven stood. His worried eye told her of his suspicion.

"_Orders!  
__Warnings!  
__Lunatic Demands!"_

She merely stared back, and she had an eerie look about her. Her controlled face had the overruling tint that persuaded that she knew something he didn't. Her eyes had the all familiar glow of insinuation that not many could catch. Little did he know, she knew more than anyone imagined.

"_This miscasting  
__Will invite damnation…"_

Her wise words struck Richard like a knife. Yet, he had no idea what she meant by it. He cocked his head in confusion, not fully understanding how much she knew. His thoughts of pondering would have to wait, for Victor and Gar had interrupting his thinking once again.

"_Tears…oaths…  
__Lunatic demands  
__Are regular occurrences!"_

Although very good friends with each, Richard glared blankly, wondering in vain how these boys could act so carefree in a time such as this. At a time of confusion and threats, he knew this was not the opportunity to take things lightly. The easygoing duo would not realize this until a true disaster would prove them wrong.

Jinny had now tuned out all, with her steadfast gaze now hovering over the balcony. She moved her big eyes slowly from one side to the other, scanning the entire space thoroughly. She peered intently, and could have sworn on her life that she saw something move. She shivered quickly and turned away, afraid to see more.

"_Bliss or damnation?  
__Which has claimed her?"_

Kiona walked past her, neither girls acknowledging eachother's being there.

"_Think how you'll shine  
__In that final encore!  
__Sing, Prima Donna,  
__Once more!"_

Raven approached the two boys, only to be unnoticed. She expected this, at this time.

"_Oh, fools,  
__To have flouted his warnings!"_

Richard walked to Jinny, seeking agreement, since Jinny was Kori's good friend.

"_Surely, for her sake…"_

She looked at him with the new fear in her eyes.

"_Surely, he'll strike back…"_

They looked at the boys, who still had their attention on Kiona.

"_Surely there'll be further scenes  
__Worse than this!"_

Raven's haunting voice rang out from the walls, her being the only voice that made an echo in the room.

"_Think, before these demands  
__Are rejected!"_

Richard looked to Jinny, his eyes now lit up with determination.

"…_I must see that these demands  
__Are rejected!"_

"…_If his threats and demands  
__Are rejected!"_

Gar and Victor, now very into the persuasion, had gotten a bit too carried away with the things being said. But Kiona ate them up either way.

"_Who'd believe a diva  
__Happy to relieve a chorus girl,  
__Who's gone and slept with the patron?  
__Richard and the soubrette,  
__Entwined in love's duet!  
Although he may be demur,  
__He must have been with her!"_

Richard had not heard, paid attention, nor cared what was being said about him. He only cared about one thing at the moment, and it was obvious what it was. Richard and Jinny had shared the same concern for Kori, and gazed on at the spectacle at hand.

"_Kori must be protected!"_

The two were soon drowned out with Kiona's loud cries of victory and self-praise.

"_Oh, fortune!  
__No longer abandoned!"_

Victor and Gar just continued on, not at all getting bored with the subject. As time went on, it became more and more amusing with each word.

"_You'd never get away  
__With all this in a play,  
__But if it's loudly sung  
__And in a foreign tongue,  
__It's just the sort of story  
__Audiences adore, in fact,  
__A perfect opera!"_

Richard pounded his fist into his hand, with another agreeable glance from Jinny.

"_His game is over!"_

The unused wisdom poured out of Raven's mouth once again, but all in vain.

"_This is a game  
__You cannot hope to win!"_

"_And in the balcony  
__A new game will begin…"_

Raven stood next to Jinny now, the poor ballerina helplessly wondering how she could sneak up behind someone without a sound. She turned her head before Raven could startle her, and heard Raven speak again.

"_For, if his curse  
__Is on the opera…"_

Jinny gasped in realization and a newfound suspicion of the ghostly suspect.

"_But if his curse  
__Is on the opera…"_

Victor and Gar heard neither warning nor hesitance when they continued their lively conversation of persuasion to the pretty girl.

"_Prima Donna,  
__The world is at your feet!"  
__A high school waits,  
__And how it hates  
__To be cheated!"_

So prideful was she that Kiona could not see through the obvious transparency of the boys' performance to her. She merely continued to strut about, nose held high.

"_The stress that falls  
__Upon a popular Prima Donna!  
__Terrible diseases,  
__Coughs and colds and sneezes!  
__Still, the driest throat  
__Will reach the highest note,  
__In search of a perfect opera!"_

Raven's pale face was now in a state of disgust at the girl. She glared threateningly at Kiona, once again without hesitance or notice. Her voice now cold as ice, she retorted at her.

"…_Then I fear the outcome…"_

Jinny looked in agreement, but not with spite.

"…_Then I fear the outcome…"_

Richard looked over to Raven, then to Jinny, almost in a confused way.

"_Kori plays the pageboy,  
__Kiona plays the countess…?"_

Raven walked slowly and ghastly toward the group.

"…_Should you dare to…"_

Jinny saw this, and followed.

"…_When you once again…"_

They all came together and said all at once, some in confusion, some in fear, some in displeasure, and some in gratification,

"_Light up the stage  
__With that age-old rapport!  
__Sing, Prima Donna,  
__Once more!"_

And, unbeknownst to all, even Raven, someone had observed the entire scene with extreme intent. A dark shadowed figure hovered over the stage in the high lofts of the backstage, watching every move that was made, every word being said. The Phantom gazed on in anger and frustration, the upcoming threats pouring from his mouth. He spoke in a quick, loud boom, but no one heard.

"So, it is to be war between us! If these demands are not met, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur!"

"…_Once more!"

* * *

_

WHOA…that thing was long. No wonder it took me so long. Well, I must admit that, sadly, this is my least favorite song (no offense to any who think otherwise). I don't mind it all that much, but I just like the other ones SO much better. Hope you all liked it!


	9. El Muto

Hi, again.

Yes, it took me awhile to finish this chapter, too, but hey, I have a good excuse this time.

Okay, so I have a very eeeeeeevil English teacher. She is making us read the book "Great Expectations". I'm sorry to all who like Charles Dickens, but that book is so dull I can barely follow it. And, don't get me wrong, there are times in the story where I think to myself, "Man, that's cool," or "Wow, I never would have thought that." But during the entire rest of the time, my small brain has trouble comprehending the extremely long sentences that are jumbled into a description. No, this does not mean that I hate English class, it just means that I do not favor "Great Expectations" all very much. And also that it causes EXTRA homework.

_**EmeraldShine-**thank you! Some thought that it was hard to understand who was singing what, but I'm glad you understood. And I'm very happy you thought it was organized!_

_**#14 is easy on the eyes-**HAHA…good one, violet. I LOVE the name, and I totally agree…sometimes I think he should have won Mr. Irresistible instead of James, but hey, I knew James better. And, besides, Liz would have MURDERED me if I chose #14 over him…wow, I can see it now…_

_**reggaeshiko-tama-**why, thank you! This story has not yet been referred to as highly recommending yet, except by you, so now I feel special!_

_**Violet-**haha, yes, I love that part too. "Notes" is actually a pretty funny song when you get to hear it closely._

_**Can't use my old name b/c I'm at school-**very subtle, Blair. Heehee…why can't you use your normal name at school? Is it because you don't want Justin (or someone particular who sits by you—hint, hint) to see? That's probably it, I'm sure. How could you forget about those songs? I'm sure "Magical Lasso" is on the 2-disk version, that's why I want it so bad!_

_**Person-**sorry if you were confused. In case you didn't know, the person who is doing the actions right before the verses is always the one who is singing._

_**Another Freakish Fan-**sorry about the confusion. If there are two or three people being explained in the non-italics, it means those two or three people are the ones singing._

_**StakeMeSpike04-**not to worry, everything I put in there is original, and from the musical/movie. I didn't recognize a lot of them either, but I put them down anyways, since they are obviously supposed to be there. But, yes, all are fully original and from the script._

_**Sphinx-**well, I am sorry you think that. And, if I do recall, I am pretty sure that I said specifically in the first chapter that I did not want **ANY** flames for this fic. I stand still to that rule, by the way. So, if you don't like the story, please don't read or review it._

_**Christine Pfiefer-**I can't believe that I still haven't gotten your first review. Well, anyways, that is so cool that your middle name is Christine. I almost forgot, actually. I had SO much fun on Saturday! Wow, I didn't know that we could make walking around fun! And your brother's videos are definitely very disturbing. I still can't use your bathroom anymore because of him! Darn that Icabod. I really liked the cat video he made, though. I didn't know he was so good at photography. I liked that verse from "Music of the Night", but I never really saw it as sultry until you told me (heehee). When I think about it, it kinda does sound seductive…And yes, having tunnels beneath your school would totally rock! And, if my first him was at the bottom waiting for me (remember, the second him will save me! Lol!) that would be sooo cool!_

_**Laurashrub-**nope, I checked, and the spacebar worked perfectly. Everything was where it was supposed to be. There were a LOT of lines, that's probably why you thought otherwise. Thank you! I'm very flattered that you would find my version better than the film's! That, I find a great accomplishment. I honestly have no idea what an "ingénue" is. I have tried, but I can't figure it out. I'm sure it's somehow related to a word that means a person that you would favor over the others._

_**TitansFan-**I know, several people didn't like that song, but I'm just glad I can move on to the next one!_

_**Jaina 12-**I must admit, the voicing is pretty cool in that song. And boy, it DID take long! What, may I ask, is your favorite part?_

_**Rose-**thank you! And, if it makes you feel any better, all I ask of you is not until the next chapter. Heeheehee. You really don't like that one, do you? I LOVE "Masquerade"!_

_**StarfireFowl-**yay! I'm happy you liked it. I was hoping it wouldn't confuse as many people as it did._

_**Robin and Star fan-**hehe, glad you liked. Well, here's another chapter for you, enjoy!_

Oh, and by the way, after "All I Ask of You", and as the story moves on into "Masquerade", I am going to switch a thing or two. First of all, I'm going to change it from 6 months later to 1 month later. In a schoolyear, I find it a whole lot reasonable for the plot.

Alright then, moving on…

* * *

The school had just paid several thousand dollars on a new chandelier for the old auditorium, as hopes to make it seem newer and more elegant. All of the teachers had been fussing over it for months, as the students usually didn't even care. Each teacher had warned and pestered each student to be grateful for the thing, that it was practically drilled into their heads that it was a very special and new addition to their very old and memory-filled auditorium. After this, most were at peace.

It was now about two months after the decided occasion that Kiona was to be the lead in the upcoming play. Since then, all were in a giant frazzle to keep the show in order, which was promptly done. Very extravagant decorations were made for this musical, "El Muto", for it was an eighteenth-century styled performance.

When the night finally came, all were in bustles of nervousness and cheer. Most liked working on this set, for all the girls gawked at its beauty and ornateness. Most of the cast members were found huddling in bunches, furiously reciting lines in a surge of whispers, so that the awaiting audience could not hear.

Kori peeped around the corner backstage in full costume. She crept around the wall to glance at the rest of her classmates behind the curtain. She wore an eighteenth-century outfit of a teenage boy, covered in frills. She had not come to care whether she was the main character or not, just as long as she did well. She was actually genuinely surprised that she would have any role bigger than a background cameo. She scanned the backstage quickly, searching for her friend.

"Jinny!" She squealed in the loudest whisper she could muster, at the sight of the pink-haired sophomore.

Jinny looked over from her spot. She scurried quickly over, with a Cheshire cat smile spread as far onto her face as it could fit.

"Oh, Kori!" she squeaked in delight, "The show's about to start!" her big, bright eyes all aflutter, "I'm so nervous and excited and nervous and happy and worried and nervous and…"

"…and I think you'll do wonderfully." Kori smiled back, "You have a pretty good part, yourself."

Jinny had been placed as the Jeweler's assistant. And as such, she was one of the main "town gossipers" of the story. And that also meant that she had a pretty big singing part.

"True…" Jinny said with a look of uneasiness, "It's just that, I'm afraid I'm gonna mess up in front of everybody!"

"Do not worry, you will not…"

"…and I am in that ballet part in act three, remember?" Jinny said with a nervous twitch.

"Yes, I did remember. I think you should consider yourself lucky that you get to be in the Dance of the Country Nymphs. I believe that you will be glorious."

"Easy for you to say," Jinny said with a teasing smile, "you don't have any lines!"

"…And I am glad of that!" Kori said with a sigh of relief.

"Why?" Jinny's confused face almost made Kori laugh.

"Well," Kori began, "I do not think I am ready for all that wondrous of a character anymore. Maybe next year, though, when I have more experience."

"You had no problem in 'Hannibal'". Jinny said with a raise of her eyebrow.

"Yes, I know," she returned, "but it made me…um…sick…afterwards…" her mind trailed off when she thought about what really did happen afterwards.

"Again, maybe next year." Kori said with her normal, cheery tone.

"I still think you should put yourself out more," Jinny glanced her friend up and down, "you have a lot of potential, you know."

"I disagree." Was all Kori had to say after a split second of silence.

"Well, no use worrying about it now," Jinny suddenly turned pale with a look at the full audience awaiting, "we have different things to be concerned of."

Kori chuckled at her friend's first reaction to stage fright.

"Do not worry, you will perform beautifully."

Jinny smiled weakly. Alan approached her in full costume as well. He was playing as the Jeweler, the same which Jinny was to be the assistant of. His wardrobe consisted of an identical replica of the others' bright costumes.

"Ready?" He said to Jinny.

Jinny made a faint whimper, then shot her head back around the curtain to look at the crowd again. She made a face of nervousness to Kori that was evident beyond measure. Jinny made a quick nod, and a straight look came over her. She tried as hard as possible to keep her poker face useful while she could. She glanced back at her friend, who gave a reassuring grin. She then heard Alan's voice yell out to every thespian in earshot.

"Curtain opens in five!"

In the same scene with Jinny, there was a boy who was to be playing the Hairdresser, and was to be singing with her and Alan. She did not know him very well, but remembered that she had a class with him. She pondered a few moments, trying to recall whether he was in her Chorus class, or in her same Algebra hour. She was becoming more frazzled every second, so she let the mediocre thought pass. Thus, putting all other distractions out of her mind, she continued to prep, becoming even more of a nervous wreck.

Richard stood in the dark, decorated high school hallway, conversing with his two friends, Victor and Gar. The trio saw the lights flicker, as a symbol that the play was about to start. Richard turned and headed in the other direction.

"Well, we've gotta go to our seats anyways," Victor said with a grin.

"Alright then, see you after the show, guys! If you need me, I'll be in the balcony with a few of my friends," Richard said, pointing towards the staircase before him.

"Um…dude," Gar's eyes widened, "are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I can't help it," he returned, "the balcony has the only seats left."

"…and for good reason…" Victor said with a shift of his eyes across the hall.

"I'm sure there's nothing to get all worked up about," Richard said. "Now, we're all gonna miss the play if we don't hurry to our spots."

"True, true, true…" Gar said, peeking into the auditorium, and spotting Raven near the stage, talking to the orchestra conductor. "We really _should_ get moving…"

The boys all resided into their seats, all content with where they sat. At least, for the moment. Gar and Victor sat next to eachother, obviously, and became intensely hyper when the curtain began to open. Gar saw Raven standing backstage and quickly shut up, afraid she would notice them and be annoyed. The curtain was stretched, and the play began.

An extravagant, and again, eighteenth century styled bedroom was ornated across the stage. The Countess and the Pageboy were hidden behind the humungous drapery of the velvety canopy bed. The Hairdresser, the Jeweler, and the Jeweler's assistant stood in the room, giggling in their gossiping glory. The three pointed to the curtain-drawn bed and strutted around, astonished at the news.

The Jeweler's assistant threw her hands to her overly powdered cheeks and gasped.

"_They say that this youth  
__Has set the lady's heart aflame!"_

Jinny was nervous beyond belief, but hid her anxiety and went on with the play.

The Hairdresser came up behind her, wigs atopped onto his head.

"_His lordship sure would die of shock!"_

The Jeweler approached them both, with a smile on his tan faced puffed white.

"_His lordship is a laughing stock!"_

The Jeweler's assistant took on a fake look of worry, again showing a face of astonishment.

"_Should he suspect her?  
God protect her!"_

They leaned toward eachother all at once, and shook their fingers all together in their little huddle.

"_Shame! Shame! Shame!"  
This fair lady's  
__Bound for Hades!  
__Shame! Shame! Shame!"_

As the play went on, the Countess remained behind the curtains of the canopy. She remained all the while taking the apparent idea that she was kissing the pageboy from behind the drapes.

As Gar and Victor watched in pure enjoyment, almost bursting out laughing when specifically told not to, they stuffed overly buttered popcorn into their faces.

"I love these things!" Gar said in a very loud whisper.

"Yeah, they're funnier when they're old fashioned!" Victor said with a covered laugh. Gar widened his eyes with a broad smile.

"If ideas like_ this_ are old fashioned, I would love to see the plays the guy who wrote this could have made up nowadays!"

"…I agree…" Victor said, looking at Gar with eyebrows raised. They said together at the same time, as if they shared the same mind,

"THAT WOULD BE SO COOL!"

A loud hiss enveloped from the row in front of them.

"Ssssshhhh!" they heard someone squeal in a subdued hush.

"Ooops," Gar whispered, waving his hand, "Sorry!"

"Anyways, as I was saying," Victor continued, "all the seats were sold out! Can you believe it, man?"

"Dude, I know!" the junior brightened, "I didn't expect to sell so many."

"This is definitely gonna earn me some thespian points…" Victor said quietly.

"And, and and…" Gar said, his grin spreading, "not a 'disaster' in sight! That was a lame prank, I have to admit…"

"And it had better be a pretty bad one if it's coming from _you_…"

"What was that, Vic?" Gar said sarcastically.

"Oh, nothing…" replied the senior, with almost a hint of a fake whistle. They both immediately hushed as they heard the continuing dialogue of the play.

The Countess had emerged from behind the bed, as had the Pageboy. The Pageboy, who was disguised as a maid, followed her.

"Serafimo, your disguise is perfect," the Countess said loudly, smiling broadly.

A stern knock was heard at the door.

"Why, who can this be?" she said with a look of shock and ignorance.

Don Attilio, her husband, was being played by Steven. He waltzed into the room, and embraced her.

"Gentle wife, admit your loving husband."

She did so, revealing him to be one that is described as an "Old Fool". He kissed her cheek and took her hand in his.

"My love, I am called to England on affairs of State, and must leave you with your new maid." He then said aside, to the crowd, "Though I'd happily take the maid with me…"

The Countess then said aside to the audience,

"The old fool's leaving!"

The "Old Fool" then took his turn to converse with the audience again in another aside.

"I suspect my young bride is untrue to me," he said in almost a whisper to the crowd, "I shall not leave, but shall hide over there to observe her!"

He turned back to his wife, and made a fake wave of his hand.

"Addio!"

She waved back, with a smile as untrue as his.

"Addio!"

He pretended to leave the room, then quickly hid and gazed on, to see what action awaited his departure. The Countess, at thinking him gone, approached the "maid".

"_Serafimo, away with this pretence!"_

She tore off his dress to reveal his manly outfit, with breeches and a puffy shirt. She went on.

"_You cannot speak,  
__But kiss me in my husband's absence!"_

She drew out her fan, and the two drew their heads behind it, to make it seem as if they had kissed. During the quick split seconds behind it, Kiona hissed at her sister,

"Don't even think about messing this up!"

"What?" She whispered back, appalled, "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean!" the mean girl swiped back the fan, and withdrew it back into her frilled pocket, becoming the Countess once again.

"_Poor fool, he makes me laugh!  
__Hahahahaha!  
__Time I tried to get a better, better half!"_

The three gossipers aligned into a strait direction, smiling and holding a slight hand to their mouths.

"_Poor fool, he doesn't know!  
__Hohohohoho!  
__If he knew the truth, he'd never, ever go!"_

In about mid sentence, a loud, booming voice echoed over the auditorium from nowhere. It's tone had the balanced blend of cryptic haunting and maddening anger. All who heard had been frozen solid, and nobody moved.

"**Did I not instruct that the balcony was to be kept empty?"**

The Jeweler's assistant immediately broke out of character. She shuddered visibly, and looked about frantically.

"He's here, the Phantom of the Opera…"

The Pageboy took a quick switch from character and shifted her eyes worriedly. She swung her hand to her mouth in true fear. She shook quietly, hoping no one would see. Alan did. He walked over to her, beginning to put his hand on her quivering shoulder. She did not see him, and said shakily,

"It is him…I know it…it is him…"

Kiona swirled around and rounded on her, viciously pointing the fan and an accusing finger in her direction.

"_Your_ part is _silent_! You little toad, you can't do anything right!"

The voice paused, as if sinking in what she had said. It boomed out again over the walls with an increasing frustration and anger.

"A toad?" the haunt repeated, "A toad? Perhaps it is _you_ who are the toad…"

His overpowering voice was as cold as ice and dripping with venom, as if she had no idea who she was dealing with. All knew that this was undoubtedly true, so they said nothing. An uneasy silence followed. Kiona stood, in the middle of a dramatic pose, she herself having no idea what to do next.

After about thirty seconds of looking around, half expecting to hear someone speak again, Henry looked as if he was about to loose his head. He threw his arms in the air, out of the view of the audience, to frantically get the senior's attention.

In her state of unwanted confusion, she finally swung her head in the direction of the director, her black hair falling a bit askew from her wig. He made notions with his hands as to signal her to start the song over. She nodded her overly pruned head and tossed her hand to the musicians, who in turn started the song from the beginning.

"_Serafimo, away with this pretence!  
__You cannot speak, but kiss me in my _CROAK!"

She gasped for breath, as surprised as all. She had not sung the last note, but her throat had made a horrible low croaking sound, like that of a toad. A look of shock came over her, and she frantically looked to Steven, who stared right back at her, just as astonished. She regained her composure and signaled to the musicians again, her patience shorter than the last.

"_Poor fool, he makes me laugh!  
__Hahahahaha!  
__Ha..._CROAK!...CROAK!...CROAK!"

She tried her hardest, but could not get a sound. All that came out was the awful croak. She became more frustrated, and swung her arm, trying in vain to sing her song. In such a fit that she was about to explode, she stopped.

Someone was laughing. No, it was no one from the audience, although several were sniggering. As her frustration went on, she realized that the voice who's laughter was increasing with every note was the same tone as the thing who had taunted her minutes before.

"…CROAK!...CROAK!...CROAK!"

She was now going in circles, about to cry as embarrassment filled her pale cheeks. She stopped in fear, for the laughter was becoming more psychotic, more hysterical. The insane maddening voice rung out, now drowning all other sound.

"**Behold! She is singing to bring down the chandelier!"**

Kiona, as well as everyone present, had heard this, as his maniacal taunt continued. Kiona looked fearfully to Henry, and with her face flushed with humiliation, swished off the stage, with saying in a shaky voice,

"I can't do this!" she squeaked in between tears.

"Oh, man!" Victor quickly said to Gar, "We'd better get up there!"

"OH yeah…" Gar nodded with extreme emphasis, "This is gonna get ugly, I can tell…"

Steven watched the horrified girl swing off the stage, and rushed after her in attempt to console her in her upset manner. He ran backstage where she fled, ran to catch up with her, and approached her comfortingly. He took her in his arms and hugged her tight.

"…It's okay, Kiona, I'm here…"

"No, it's not okay!" she said sadly, with an extra dose of drama added in it, "I was humiliated!"

"Sshh…" he said soothingly, still in her embrace, "I'm here, it's alright, you'll be fine…"

He continued to calm her as she settled down slowly.

Victor leapt onto the stage and hissed to the curtain boy,

"Shut that thing, will you?"

They immediately did as they were told, and Gar joined his friend on the now curtain-closed stage. Victor grabbed a microphone, and addressed the stirring crowd.

"Uh, ladies and gentlemen, the play will continue after a ten minute…intermission…when the role of the Countess will be performed by Kori Anders." He said this, all the while remaining in a shaky voice of uneasiness. Gar quickly interrupted him, snatching the microphone worriedly.

"…In the meantime, everyone, we will be giving you the ballet from…Act three, was it, Vic? YES, Act three. Here's the ballet…sorry for the uh…inconvenience. Okay then," he said, looking at the band, "here's the ballet…" he then set the microphone down and hurried off the stage after Victor.

Henry practically screeched to all the ballerinas to get on stage immediately. Jinny, being in that performance, had to change in extra speed to get there on time. She ran onto the still covered stage, the curtain hadn't been opened yet. She thanked her luck and waited for the curtain to open.

Before she could count her blessings, she found that the curtain had been drawn, and the music was about to play. It started up, and she danced with the rest.

Jinny had to take more concentration tonight because of the rising tensions that had enveloped the cast. Although she constantly scolded herself to remain calm and to concentrate on nothing else, she could not prevent herself from seeing the threatening shadows of a cloaked man up in the lofts. They were not stagehands, for none went so high up, especially during a performance.

She tried not to think about it, but faltered and fell out of step. She tried in vain to forget the shadows and continue on, but could not.

She danced faster and faster, all going with her, swirling and twirling and spinning around. The music was getting faster and faster, each note adding quickness in a step, some hers, some unknown. She whirled and spun and swung, faster and faster until…

"AAAAAAAAAHH!" her scream was the loudest trill imaginable that could send a chill of horror down a person's spine, them knowing that a true terror only could have made such a scream.

Jinny stared into the lifeless eyes of Mark's garroted body. He had fallen from the shafts high above, and he hung there, dead, on the rope. His frozen body hovered feet from the ground, and his limp face fell only inches from Jinny's. She screamed again, and ran from his hanging figure, as it swung slightly from side to side.

Richard stared in horror. He had also seen the shadows, but had said nothing of it. He knew all to well, as well as any other, that it was nearly impossible to just fall from the loft above the stage. It was obviously well protected, and the ledges were well barred, so that things like this couldn't, and wouldn't happen. He knew that this was intentional, and that he himself had a reason for its happening.

The audience full of students began to scream and scurry from their seats in a state of pandemonium. Victor jumped onto the stage, he himself in a widespread panic, and tried to calm the crowd.

"Everyone, please! It was an accident! It was only an accident!"

Richard fled from the balcony as quick as he could, when the next thought entered his mind. Kori. She wasn't safe, and he knew it. He ran down the aisles and onto the stage, passed the body, and into the back, searching, scanning the area for the girl. He saw her, running, in a state of fright like the rest.

"Richard! Richard!" she cried, almost sounding like a plea for help.

He didn't notice the tinge of helplessness in her voice, for he threw her into his arms.

"Thank God! You're alright!"

He released her and grabbed her hand, both of them quickly moving away, but Richard leading her.

"Kori, come with me…"

"No," she said pitifully, in a cry of anguish, "no, it is not safe…we have to go to the roof…"

He nodded his head quickly, as Kori darted her eye in a different direction. She had seen another shadow shoot across the wall nearest to her. She shivered and hurried off with Richard, heading for the roof.

* * *

WELL, that certainly took awhile! It actually took a lot longer than I thought, but oh well…hope you liked! 


	10. All I Ask of You

Hi!

So, yes, another chapter that took too long. By now, I assume all are used to it. So, yeah, from now on, I myself would expect it to take this same amount of time for each chapter, so keep that in mind!

_**Rose-**true, you didn't have to worry then. Prepare yourself, because "All I Ask of You" is definitely gonna be in this chapter! Sorry that you don't like Raul OR Robin, but I have to admit that it is pretty darn hard to resist the Phantom any day!_

_**Laurashrub-**WHERE! PLEASE---if you care about my sanity you would **please** tell me where these mistakes you keep finding are! What two words are there that I would have messed up on not once, but TWO TIMES? I have checked many times over, and I still can't find what you're talking about! Please help me! Oh, and by the way, I am not usually this weird…sorry about that._

_**StarfireFowl-**thank you! Yes, the heavily awaited "All I Ask of You" is finally here! I'm so happy!_

_**TitansFan-**thanks! And, you can finally hear "All I Ask of You" now!_

_**StakeMeSpike04-**thank you so much! I'm loving your story more and more! Glad you liked mine!_

_**Robin and Star Fan-**thank you! I'm so happy that you enjoyed it so much!_

_**Another Freakish Fan-**thank you! I am still very glad that people still recognize it as being 21st century, so I am super happy that you liked it!_

Alright then…forward and onward…

* * *

Kori took a giant gasp of breath. Real fear and adrenaline-stricken panic flickered in her illumined green eyes. She ran stair after stair, Richard's comforting hand held firm in hers. She was now the one leading him, and she went faster and faster up the winding and twisting paths and steps. 

They were about half-way to the roof, swishing from hallway to hallway, and for Kori, life seemed to have almost stopped. Each frightful step she ran she seemed to be going slower and slower. Each passing door became further and further away, with each glance she shot. And each path ahead stretched like an optical illusion before her eyes. She quickened her pace.

Richard noticed her change in behavior. He was becoming out of breath, and the girl he cared so much for who led him, only went faster. He pondered to himself at how she could have so much energy, and he began to heave with exhaust. He tugged on her hand, almost making her stop in her quick-moving tracks.

She turned her tranced head to meet his flushed face, but continued to move on slowly. She kept shooting her head back at him at intervals as she heard him speak.

"_Why have you brought us here?"_

She looked away, and quickened again, not looking back at him. She then said to him in a fearful and trancelike voice.

"_Don't take me back there!"_

He stopped her, almost trying to tug her back the other way.

"_We must return!"_

She pulled harder on his hand, and led him to the direction of her original destination. She stared him in the eye as she went on.

"_He'll kill me!"_

Richard didn't listen to this, and tried to console her.

"_Be still now…"_

But she continued, as if he hadn't said a word, her voice beginning to quiver and crack.

"_His eyes will find me there!"_

Again, he did not understand what she meant by this, but still tried to calm her down.

"_Kori, don't say that…"_

Kori's feet began to move quicker, each movement made with a swift swish of her dress that echoed her nervous soul.

"_Those eyes that burn!"_

Richard was becoming more nervous now, still not comprehending her words, but becoming more concerned with each.

"_Don't even think it…"_

It was again her turn to ignore, and she kept her eyes, head and mind focused on the path ahead of her, not removing her gaze or transfixing her plan of escape.

"_And if he has to kill a thousand men…"_

Richard grabbed her hand tighter.

"_Forget this waking nightmare…"_

She let go of his hand and spun around in the movement of lightning, and Richard saw what the girl looked like when in the absence of hope and pure helplessness. She approached him as in a movement of shock and almost anger, at his response of that none of it was real. Her pleading eyes glazed over as they poured into his, with a nervous and stressed tear forcing itself from her eye.

"_The Phantom of the Opera will kill…"_

She was beginning to scare Richard now, and he clutched her shoulders and swung her towards him with gentleness but with swift speed, as if to get her to finally understand_ his _meaning. He moved himself in front of her, so that he was blocking her path, and could not pass. He looked her in the eye and said, also fearful,

"_The Phantom is a fable!  
__Believe me!"_

But she kept on keeping on, with her shakiness reaching a boiling point. Her tone got louder, and Richard knew the true extent of her outward flung emotions.

"…_and kill again!"_

He stared on, both not moving an inch. Richard's voice got slower and deeper at his final attempt to change her mind.

"_There is no Phantom of the Opera…"_

She, in turn, swung out of his hold with her acquired grace and spun around his shoulder, in attempt to pursue her original direction. She swerved from his side and walked ahead, this time in too much of a stress to take back his hand. She continued to speak, but now seemingly to herself.

"_My God, who is this man…"_

He looked on after her, and he hesitated a moment, watching her in awe. He stood for a split second of confusion before quickly trying to catch up with her. He wondered silently and then said, to himself,

"_My God who is this man…"_

He tried to keep up at her pace, but she was too fast. She would not falter a single movement unless distracted, which she definitely was not. He was beginning to lose breath again when he heard her horrified voice lull on.

"…_who hunts to kill?"_

Richard's eyes widened in false understanding, although he was unsure of the reason. He moved closer to her, he becoming one with her frustration and anxiety.

"…_this mask of death?"_

In a quick moment he shuddered at the thought that it might be real; that she could be acting like this for a reason. Her voice of shifting terror rung out once again, filling his ears with pity for the loving girl.

"_I can't escape from him…"_

He did not want to think of the possibility of her words being truth, but all the same pondered what she said. If it was true, if and only if, he was struck stupefied at her awful predicament. If it was true, which, of course, it was not to Richard, he was truly afraid for what lay in front of Kori when she crossed this thing's path in the wrong way.

"_Whose is this voice you hear…"_

She ignored again, her stutters now up to a pleading cry.

"…_I never will!"_

Another tear of frustration and loss of hope escaped her. Richard still moved behind the soprano with as much speed as he could muster, as well as not succeeding to run her down. Her words were certainly starting to scare him. An expression of sheer concern spread out upon his pale features.

"…_with every breath?"_

With a conquered step that relieved him, Richard was finally able to walk at the same pace as Kori. She looked at him, and they both began to talk at once.

"_And in this labyrinth,  
__Where night is blind,  
__The Phantom of the Opera is here…"_

Kori stopped short and stood still, her unmoving eyes as lifeless as stone.

"…_inside my mind."_

Richard did not notice, and kept moving, still concerned with her, pondering how any of this could possibly be real.

"…_inside your mind."_

He then noticed with a jump that she was not at his side. He turned at saw her, unmoving, planted at her spot. He walked the short couple of feet towards her and put his reassuring hands on her shoulders, again in vain trying to calm her troubled mind.

"_There is no Phantom of the Opera…"_

She stirred silently, and moved her eyes of lime to focus onto his caring ones. Her look of oblivion disappeared within the quickness of a split second, and in its place, an expression of seriousness and ice.

"_Richard, I've been there,  
__To his world of unending night…  
__To a world where the daylight dissolves  
__Into darkness…  
__Darkness…_

Her voice got deep and low, as if the very words spurting from her tongue were of pure evil, and of one that should never be discussed by the race of humankind. Her eyes went dark, and Richard panicked at what she might say next. She stared blankly into space at her last words spoken, and stood there, motionless.

As swiftly as she had fallen into her trance, she fell out. The blackness in her eye vanished, as if into thin air, and was replaced once again with fear and fret. She locked gazes with him once again, seeking a final understanding from the boy, her face now spread upon the hopelessness of recent minutes, alive again in her worry.

"_Richard, I've seen him,"_

Her voice now broke out into a slow sob, with cold, slow tears seeping from her eyes. Her cry got louder, with each emphasis of sadness reeking itself on her words.

"_Can I ever forget that sight?  
__Can I ever escape from that face?  
__So distorted, deformed,  
__It was hardly a face,  
__In that darkness…  
__Darkness…"_

Her face drooped, as if in despair, and her head fell slightly, looking sadly at the floor. She then changed her mood, and raised her head up, not looking him in the eye. She raised her eyes, and moved from his arms, whirling from him again, walking forward. Her changed mood had affected her tone as well, as Richard had noticed. It became lighter, but more ecstatic. She seemed to have lost all thought of space and time, for she saw nothing else.

She walked slowly towards her now unblocked direction. She opened the door to the roof, and tiptoed silently outward. She became consumed by the falling snow of a November winter, and was unconcerned with the cold. Richard looked up after her, and saw that she left no footprints in the fresh snow.

"…_But his voice filled my spirit  
__With a strange, sweet sound…  
__In that night  
__There was music in my mind…  
__And through music  
__My soul began to soar!  
__And I heard  
__As I'd never heard before…"_

Richard walked up from behind her and touched her arms gently, softly grasping them in his final attempt of soothing. He brought his head closer to her ear and whispered softly, so to calm her down,

"_What you heard  
__Was a dream,  
__And nothing more…"_

She turned to face him, unphased by his caring words. She fearfully looked into his eyes, her lip quivering, and Richard knew she was on the borderline of tears. But her last words cut into him like a sharp dagger of realization, as she did not falter to stare him down.

"_Yet in his eyes  
__All the sadness of the world…  
__Those pleading eyes  
__That both threaten and adore…"_

Richard didn't move. Her cries of helplessness terrified him, that she thought all of this in so much detail. What if it was true? No, no, it could not possibly work in Richard's mind. It definitely was not true, but he could not figure out for the life of him how she could be frightened by the level of magnitude that she was now.

"_Kori…Kori…"_

He wrapped his arms around her in a loving embrace, to which Kori fell into. Her cheek ran into his shoulder swiftly, but did not move it. Her silent tears slowly and swiftly rolled on, and went unnoticed by Kori herself. She stood there in his embrace, her own arms straightly drooping at her sides, dangling, unmoved. She would have hugged him back, she really would have, but an unknown cause would not allow her to move. She tried to force herself to respond, but felt an overwhelming purpose that kept her immobile.

She closed her eyes, leaned her head, and began to fall further into Richard, who held her close. But, as she did this, she heard a quiet echo, a taunting chant, a melancholy whisper that could be heard by her and her alone.

"_**Kori…Kori…"**_

Kori sprung her head from his shoulder and pushed herself free, staring blankly around, eyes wide. She knew she heard it, and she knew who it was. Her nervous eyes danced from side to side, gaining back its horrified tint. She did not look at Richard, and absentmindedly refused to meet his confused gaze.

"What was that?" she said fearfully.

For the first time that night, she acknowledged the freezing rain that surrounded her being and his. She grabbed her arms with her hands, and rubbed them as she shivered shakily. Richard swiped off his coat and drew it over her frail quivering body. Her fragile features were now exhausted from its previous overuse of getting to the roof in the hurry that it did.

Richard brought his hand to her chin, and moved her head to face him. His exasperated mind was evident in his eyes as Kori now willingly drowned into them. He wrapped his arms around her gently, and he finally saw a reaction from her.

She stared into his face, now fully understanding where her real trust lay. She smiled feebly at his hug, and he smiled back, not wanting to startle her. She leaned her head and laid it onto his chest softly. Richard, in turn, lowered his chin to rest on her head, gratitude welling his heart that she was actually hugging back.

"_No more talk of darkness;  
__Forget those wide-eyed fears.  
__I'm here,  
__Nothing can harm you,  
__My words will warm and calm you.  
__Let me be your freedom,  
__Let daylight dry your tears.  
__I'm here,  
__With you, beside you,  
__To guard you and to guide you…"_

Kori raised her head to look at him, her eyes now full of a calm joy that could not be expressed with words.

"_Say you'll love me  
__Every waking moment,  
__Turn my head  
__With talk of summertime…  
__Say you need me with you  
__Now and always…  
__Promise me  
__That all you say is true.  
__That's all I ask of you…"_

Richard smiled again, and looked down at her once tan face, which had turned pale not from fear, but from the freezing temperature and the falling snow. He spoke softly to her, almost in a whisper.

"_Let me be your shelter,  
__Let me be your light.  
__You're safe,  
__No one will find you,  
__Your fears are far behind you…"_

Kori lowered her eyes, and glanced at the floor, raising them at intervals to look at Richard's calm and gentle face.

"_All I want is freedom,  
__A world with no more night…  
__And you,  
__Always beside me,  
__To hold me and to hide me…"_

She stopped. She looked up at Richard, hoping him to speak. He did, and it made her swoon.

"_Then say you'll share with me  
__One love, one lifetime…  
__Let me lead you  
__From your solitude…  
__Say you'll need me with you  
__Here, beside you…  
__Anywhere you go,  
__Let me go too.  
__Kori,  
__That's all I ask of you…"_

Almost before he could finish, Kori piped up, her cheeks now rosy with happiness.

"_Say you'll share with me  
__One love, one lifetime…  
__Say the word,  
__And I will follow you…"_

They hugged once more, and then said together,

"_Share each day with me,  
__Each night, each morning…"_

Kori's smile could surpass any fears or sadness of any kind at that moment, her eyes brimming with its own natural light.

"_Say you love me…"_

Richard almost cut her off, to make sure to answer her question that she sought.

"_You know I do…"_

They looked at one another, and said,

"_Love me,  
__That's all I ask of you…"_

They then shared a soft first kiss, there with the snow beating down their necks. But they did not care, for they had lost any help for use of this world in that very moment. After what seemed like a century and a second wrapped into one, the two separated from another.

"_Anywhere you go  
__Let me go too…  
__Love me,  
__That's all I ask of you…"_

They then stood there, for an unknown time, for they were too enthralled with the other to care about anything else. After the time unbeknownst to the two, Kori finally broke away from her new boyfriend. She started towards the door, looking back sheepishly at moments at a time.

"_I must go,  
__They'll wonder where I am.  
__Wait for me Richard!"_

Richard had barely heard a word that came out of her mouth. All he knew was that he was crazy about her, and that she now had to leave.

"_Kori, I love you!"_

She blushed at this. Although it was evident, she did not want to rush to the conclusion that it was love. She was infatuated, yes, but was it really love? Every time she thought of it, her heart soared and her mind fluttered. How could she not think so? She looked back at Richard, and called to him, him being a short distance away.

"_Bring out your car to go home,  
__Be with it at the door!"_

He was too entranced by her hair to think otherwise.

"_And soon,  
__You'll be beside me!"_

She smiled.

"_You'll guard me and you'll guide me!"_

Richard ran up to her and grabbed her hand. They went down in this way the whole rest of the evening, as happy as any couple could be.

And as the slinking shadows of the two lovebirds vanished from the outskirts of the snowy roof, all was still. All except for a third shadow, which had not moved since the arrival of the duo. A dark figure of a man emerged from the stooping silhouettes of the roof-held items. Very well hidden, the Phantom now fully revealed himself from within the darkening mist. His white and slightly X'd mask almost glowed in the lamplight which showed his tall and towering figure.

And along the face of the masked villain lay an expression of despair and sadness. He felt as though he was about to choke, and almost lost his balance. He grasped onto the wall of the door to keep himself upright, and stood staring at the snow, where their footsteps had only recently been put. His lip quivered, and a tear slipped through his mask and seeped into his cold skin. His head fell, and his eyes drooped, and he hung his head in an unstable upset, shocked to the bone at what he had just witnessed.

She was within his grasp. She loved him. She sang for him, she came to his home, the one place where he could live without torment. But torture would stalk him wherever he went, and he never knew why. She was his. His own. The one living thing that could make a life of horror and loneliness into one of happiness and freedom of oneself.

But that was not what he had seen. He saw love, compassion, emotion, all that he wanted and expected from her, but it was not for him. It was for a sissy pansy who merely had a lot of money, who did not love her like he did, who figured that he could have her as easily as a slice of meat. He did not understand it. He did not understand how she could become the traitor of his devoted heart, and not even acknowledge the slightest sign of guilt.

"_**I gave you my music,  
**__**Made your song take wing…  
**__**And now,  
**__**How you've repaid me,  
**__**Denied me and betrayed me…  
**__**He was bound to love you,  
**__**When he heard you sing…"**_

Another tear escaped his deformed eye. He could not hold his despair any longer, and wept bitterly. He brought his pale white hand to his covered forehead and blocked his pitch black eyes with it, and bent over slightly.

"Kori…" he whispered in between sobs, "Kori…"

He raised his ears, for he had heard something. Down below, near the street, stood Kori and Richard. Hand-in-hand, they continued to express their newfound infatuation with one another. Their distant voices floated to his ears, and left likea ghostlike taunt in his presence.

"_Say you'll share with me  
__One love, one lifetime…  
__Say the word,  
__And I will follow you…  
__Share each day with me,  
__Each night, each morning…"_

The Phantom's face then twisted into a mess of forced rage. His tears froze in the winter air, and his mouth curved into an angry frown. He shot his furious eyes down the winding shaft onto the icy streets of the school. His eyes narrowed, and he scowled at them malevolently. If he could not have her, no one could.

He raised his head, now shaking with fury, and screamed at the top of his lungs, although not a soul, lest the life of Kori, heard his roar.

"_**You will curse  
**__**The day you did not do  
**_**_All that the Phantom asked of you!"_**

As Kori was about to step her foot into Richard's car, she froze in midair. His eerily angry voice boomed in her ears, and she could not move. She looked frantically to Richard, who stared blankly at her.

"Kori, what's wrong?"

She looked at him like he had gone insane.

"Did you not hear that?" she squeaked, her voice disappearing with the color of her skin as she turned dead pale.

"Kori, there was nothing…nothing was there…"

She began to move, but stood deathly still as she heard the voice sling out again in an anrry surge of agony.

"**Go!"**

And from inside the school, screams could be heard. Neither Kori nor Richard stood around to know why. Inside, all were running as if in a mad house. The new chandelier stood in a mixture of broken crystallike pieces all over the floor. No one was hurt, but no one remained calm.

Kori stood still outside Richard's car, this time not allowing her own self to move. She heard his thundering voice scream into her eardrums without mercy, as her frozen body stood in mid movement. She panicked, half expecting someone to jump out from nowhere, for no reason at all. She looked all around, then back at Richard, her voice faltering. She forgot thathe was waiting for an answer.

"I…heard someone…"

He only helped her into the car, with a loving hug right before.

"It's alright," he cooed, "you'll feel better after you get some food,"

He looked at Kori more closely, and realized how exhausted she was.

"…and some sleep."

She nodded, and Richard took her home. But she never ever forgot the Phantom's last words that swooned in her ringing head, as she tried fruitlessly to get to sleep that cold and snowy night.

* * *

Phew—end of Act 1, everybody! Wooohooo! I think I actually accomplished something here! 


	11. Masquerade

I'm BAAAAAAACK!

OH my gosh! I NOW OWN THE DVD TO THIS MOVIE! IT'S ALL MINE! ALL MINE I TELL YOUUUUUUUU!

By the way, yes, I own it. I got it on the first day it got out (May 3, everyone, and yes, I was counting the days. Yes, I am weird). When I got to my wonderously loyal Target store, it was almost sold out! My friend went there a day later and had to get a rain check because they were all gone! Haha, the early bird gets the worm (once again, Alexis). And, for those who want to buy it, I recommend buying the Widescreen 2-Disk Special Edition version (I did—obviously).

_**EmeraldShine-**thank you! I always appreciate complimentary reviews!_

_**RavensAngst-**wow, thank you so much for your many wonderful reviews! I was wondering where you were…and yes, moving can be quite a hassle. I completely understand. And I am very happy that you are so impressed with the story, I find it a compliment coming from you for some reason…although I don't know why. Oh, well, whatever the reason, it's a good thing! _

_**Jaina 12-**that was your favorite part! AAAAAAW! I also love that part. The reprise is the main reason of why I like "All I Ask of You" mostly, other than the great voicing that usually comes from that song. Every time I hear the Phantom say his last lines, it gives me chills!_

_**Another Freakish Fan-**thank you! Robin has a car, at that time._

_**Lady of darkness055-**oh, really, it's your favorite song? That's cool. I like that song, I just think it's so darn cute! And the voicing is done very well, so it sounds amazing!_

_**Laurashrub-**yessirree, that would be me: the paranoid one. Although I did not see the other mistakes you found, I did see the "thathe" that I misplaced in the previous chapter. I apologize for my perfectionism and all out weirdness. I drive my friends in my art class insane because I always find something wrong with my painting, then they end up taking my brush away from me! _

_**Jackalobe-**hi, Rose! HAHA, sorry about the song. If it were up to you, I'm sure you would have just cut that part out and make the Phantom and Raul switch places…along with having something very unfortunate happen to Roul (cough cough). But, as we all know, it had to happen (sadly, in your case). Hope you like this chapter!

* * *

_

RRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGG

Kori raised her eyes to the black and white clock. 10:55. She clutched her books and made her way to the door through her crowded third hour English class that had just come to an end. Her next hour was lunch, and she needed it. She had missed breakfast, lest she would be late for school that morning.

As she left the classroom, she made her way through the busy hallways to the stairs. After going a few flights up, she made it to the third floor, where her locker lay. She fiddled with her lock combination for a minute or so. It had refused to open. Weird things had been happening lately against her favor over the past month. It had begun to make her a bit frustrated. After the fourth try, she spun the lock with immense speed and it flew open, pouring out a multitude of books at her feet. She sighed, puffed a strand of vibrant red hair from her cheek, and reached for her gigantic Chemistry book.

At the closing of her clanging locker door, she turned to see her pink-haired friend, waiting behind. Jinny's usual grin was a bit more giddy than usual, and Kori was about to find out why.

"Hi, Kori," she said brightly, "Ready to go?"

"Yes, finally," she said, a bit exasperated.

It had been a full month since the performance of "Il Muto", and Kori and Richard's one-month anniversary was drawing near. It was a chilly December morning, with light snow scattering the outdoors. It was Thursday, and Friday was the last day before Christmas break. Most of the students were overly hyper at this time, all very eager to be off school for two weeks.

The two girls made their way down two flights of steps, and left the building. They then began to make their way across the campus to the building on the other side of the parking lot, where more classes stood, along with the cafeteria. Three main buildings in all made up the whole school, but Kori didn't have any classes in the third building. As they walked across the parking lot, Jinny turned to Kori in a whip of excitement, light snow falling into her hair.

"So, are you going to the New Year's Eve dance?"

"I do not know," Kori replied, a bit wary, "I have not honestly considered it. Richard said something of it the other day…"

The girls approached the cafeteria, and got their food, continuing their conversation. They sat down, and Jinny's eyes widened.

"You mean to say that you aren't going?"

"Oh," Kori said, "I might go, if Richard does."

"You should" Jinny returned, "and do you know what the theme is?"

"What?"

"Masquerade ball!" she almost jumped out of her seat in excitement, "You all wear masks, and you dress up as a certain person, and you get all decked out and everything!"

"You mean," Kori said, her eyes glistening, "we get to wear costumes?"

"Oh yes," Jinny raised her eyebrows, "and I know exactly what I'm going to wear."

"Really? Oh, please, do tell…"

"Well," Jinny began, "I'm not going to be a witch, that's for sure, but, I do know that I'm tilting towards something near that description."

"A sorceress?" Kori offered.

"Yeah!" her eyes enlarged, "but, I do know that it's going to be all black, purple, and pink."

"Oooooooooh" Kori smiled, "That sounds absolutely wonderful! But," she faltered, "I have no idea what I am to go as myself."

"Actually," Jinny calmed down a bit, "I don't think you have to be anything in particular, as long as you wear something really outlandish and pretty. And a mask, of course. Ooh, we could get one of those mask things that you hold up with a stick. That would be so cool. Although, I really do think that most of the people there are going to be dressed _as_ something."

"Well then," Kori said, "I think I shall go. I greatly anticipate this 'Masquerade' and I want to find my costume right away!"

"We should go to the mall and get ours soon," Jinny said, with her mouth full of pasta, "the dance is in a week-and-a-half."

Kori gasped. It was true, today was December 20, and the dance was obviously going to be on the 31st.

"We must go after school and get our dresses!" Kori squeaked with delight.

"Yes! But first," Jinny's eyes turned sarcastically cold, "I have to try and not fail my stupid Computers test…" she rolled her eyes, "Why oh why did they make a class entirely for stupid computers? Can't they just let the repair man do that?" She turned to Kori, who shrugged, trying to repress a giggle.

Later, after school, Jinny and Kori went to dress store. Almost any and every dress imaginable was there before their eyes. All the poofy skirts and trains would lead assumption that this was a costumed prom dress store. Extravagance was an understatement. Many other students from their school were scattered across the place, looking every outfit up and down. Obviously this was the main place to shop for a Masquerade ball. A section near the back had masks of every kind. Jinny picked one easily, and beckoned Kori to join her. Kori searched for a few minutes, then finally found one that suited her fancy.

It took them even longer to find a dress. The place was crowded, but not so crowded as to keep them away from the prettiest outfits. Kori found a beautiful dress and tried it on. When finished, she came out to see Jinny with her picked costume, ready to pay. The girls paid for their dresses and masks, and promptly went home, as Jinny wouldn't allow herself to fail yet another test.

When Kori walked into her house that night, carrying her bag of newly bough clothes, she saw her sister strutting across the house, in search of her favorite perfume. Kori followed Kiona into their giant living room, to find her sister almost pacing.

"Sister," Kori said in her usually sweet voice, "Are you going to the 'Masquerade'?"

Kiona lifted her eyebrow in haughtiness to her younger sibling, and replied in her smug tone,

"Why, of course, darling," she said, with a new smirk now spreading across her face, "what did you think I was going to do, stay at home and, dare I say it…READ?"

Kori pouted her lip at her sister's stupidity, but said not a word. She tried once again to win her sister's temporary favor by acting nice.

"So, sister," she said brightly, "what are you going as?"

The senior kept her smugness, but lost her spite as she turned her dark black eyes to her little sister. A genuine smile escaped her lips as her curvy eyes danced with subdued excitement.

"I am torn," she said, keeping her smile, "between a spider and a peacock." She moved her eyes to the ceiling, still trying to decide.

"May I suggest the peacock?" Kori said sweetly, slowly entering Kiona's interest as a human being.

"Do you really think…?" Kiona paused, surmising over Kori's opinion.

Kori herself was shocked that Kiona would even consider her opinion, nevertheless allow herself to ponder her ideas. A mixture of the Christmas spirit and the excitement of New Years had surely gotten the best of her sister. She found herself even more surprised when Kiona smiled.

"Yes, I think I will…" Kiona approached the door.

"Well, I'm off, sister dear," she said, still snobbish, but cheerfully, "I should best be off to that dress store. I know exactly what I'm going to get now."

Kori smiled. She knew when her sister was fake or genuine, and today there was a true cheer in Kiona's jet-black eyes. Any day that she made an impact on Kiona, especially a happy one, was a good day. Kiona was obviously already in a good mood that day to begin with, therefore the night was going to be a much deal easier to live through.

She walked through her big house to her room, where she flopped onto her bed and grabbed her World History book. Finals were approaching, and not one soul wished it would.

Eleven days later, on the night of the "ball", Kori appeared in the gym doorway to see the wonderful dance for the sheer magic that it was. White, black, gold, and silver were strewn left from right, with masks as far as the eye could see. Decorations of every kind and measure were hung in brilliance, as to make the scene even more dazzling. The gym had been designed in a way to signify an actual old Victorian ballroom, and the dance committee had done an excellent job in doing so. The more she examined her surroundings, the more it looked even more realistically majestic. People were everywhere, wearing gigantic dresses and outlandish outfits that only a Masquerade would invite. Every soul on the floor wore a different mask; each having its own significance to its owner. Kori truly gawked at the sight.

Kori herself did not stick out in the extravagant dance. She wore a lilac purple Victorian dress with giant frills falling down the back. Her top half fell in puffy short sleeves and didn't touch her shoulders. Sections of white lace and a darker purple décor ornamented her top and train. White necklaces fell loosely from her neck, and around her slim arms were white gloves that ran above her elbow. Her hair was something she had become proud of that she had done herself. Her ruby red locks had been curled to its limit and wrapped back into a loosely graceful half-ponytail. She wore dark mascara and liner on her green eyes, and a light pink shadow on her eyelids. On her ears she wore earrings of purple pearl. And held gingerly to the level of her eyes by a decorated stick was a violet-white mask with shimmering creamy pearls and soft glitter of gold.

She was a beautiful sight to see, and Richard was not the only one who noticed her enter.

Richard approached his girlfriend in a rush of excitement, obviously very glad to see her. He was dressed as a soldier, shining from head to toe in blue and gold. He had a black, white, and blue mask that covered his face.

"Kori!" He said, beaming, "You look gorgeous!"

She turned an unthinkable shade of red, and smiled. Although it had been only a month since they had been together, she was now totally convinced that she loved him. It was only too obvious that he loved her too. They seemed perfect for one another.

"…Thank you, Richard," she blushed again, sheepishly turning away from his gaze. She took his offered hand, and they walked towards the well decorated dance floor.

She looked over the room and saw Jinny talking to Victor. Jinny looked very pretty herself; her hair was up in a single messy bun, with single strands falling carelessly onto her fair face. Her dress was indeed black, with long sleeves and random places of purple and even smaller places of pink. A pitch black mask with black glitter was held by a stick in her hand. Her trademark choker hung from her neck as she turned her head to see Kori making her way over to her. Victor seemed a bit disappointed when the girl faced his opposite direction to speak to her friend.

"Kori! You finally came! We were waiting forever for you!"

"I am so sorry! I was late because my sister took an eternity to get ready, and as she was my only source of getting here…"

"We understand," Richard put a loving hand on her shoulder, as she turned to smile broadly.

"Do you wanna dance?" Richard said calmly.

"Well, not yet," she replied, "I would merely like to watch for a bit. It is all so beautiful!"

"Alright," he laughed. He, Kori, and Jinny then walked over to Raven, where she stood.

Raven was very beautifully dressed as well, dressed everything in black, mask and all, with a dress that flattered her figure to a great extent.

"Hello, Raven!" Kori smiled brightly.

"Hello," the Goth replied.

Te girl seemed at extreme peace, for she showed no sign of stress whatsoever. What you could see of her eyes were that they were calm and relaxed. The four friends stood and talked in content happiness.

Meanwhile, after Jinny left Victor, who was dressed as a warrior, looked over to see a dawdling boy with green hair. He cocked his unseen eyebrow and walked over.

"Gar?" he said queerily, "That you, man?"

"Say HUH? Oh, hi, Vic." The junior, who was dressed as a warrior as well, but in a different ethnicity, smiled at Victor.

"_Dude, Victor,  
__What an awesome party!"_

Victor looked around, pleased with what he saw.

"_The prologue  
__To a bright New Year!"_

It was known that Victor helped the dance committee every once in awhile, and that he had helped with this one. He had helped put up many of the decorations, him being one of the tallest people available. Gar nodded his head in approval of the décor.

"_Quite a night,  
__I'm impressed!"_

Victor tugged on his shirt slightly, nodding too.

"_Well, one does ones best…"_

Gar quickly grabbed a cup of punch and almost threw it into the air.

"_Here's to us!"_

Victor laughed, and took up a cup himself.

"_I must say,  
__All the same  
__That it's a shame  
__That 'Phantom' fellow isn't here!"_

They then guzzled the punch and walked over to where Raven, Jinny, Kori, and Richard stood.

"Hey, guys," Gar waved. The two boys came over and were accepted into their conversations as they gaily watched the amazing sight before them.

After a few minutes, the orchestra band members specially chosen for the dance picked up their instruments. They began to play a familiar tune that caused everyone in earshot to burst into song. The song had been specially picked for the dance, and almost the entire student body knew the words to begin with. It had been a school favorite for years. No one knew exactly where the song came from, only that it was catchy, and no teenager in the room went without knowing the song by heart. The six friends sang along as those who danced sang it loudest of all, almost every soul singing with the enchanting song.

"_Masquerade!  
__Paper faces on parade…  
__Masquerade!  
__Hide your face  
__So the world will never find you!_

_Masquerade!  
__Every face a different shade…  
__Masquerade!  
__Look around,  
__There's another mask behind you!"_

Just then, all the girls, including Raven, Kori, and Jinny, sang softly along to the first verse of the song.

"_Flash of mauve…  
__Splash of puce…  
__Fool and king…  
__Ghoul and goose…  
__Green and black…  
__Queen and priest…  
__Trace of rouge…  
__Face of beast…_

_Faces…  
__Take your turn, take a ride  
__On a merry-go-round…  
__In an inhuman race…"_

All the boys quickly picked up where the girls left off, right on cue.

"_Eye of gold…  
__Thigh of blue…  
__True is false…  
__Who is who…?  
__Curl of lip…  
__Swirl of gown…  
__Ace of hearts…  
__Face of clown…_

_Faces…  
__Drink it in, drink it up,  
_'_Till you've drowned in the light…  
__In the sound…"_

All went silent, for none could have seemed to remember the next line. As if on impulse, Kori just sang out as if as usual, but this time, alone.

"…_But who can name the face…?"_

She said this solemnly, and with a horribly straight face, but she didn't realize it, and she didn't know why. Nobody noticed, as the rest of the school continued in the wonderful melody of the music.

"_Masquerade!  
__Grinning yellows, spinning reds…  
__Masquerade!  
__Take your fill,  
__Let the spectacle astound you!_

_Masquerade!  
__Burning glances, turning heads…  
__Masquerade!  
__Stop and stare  
__At the sea of smiles around you!_

The teenagers continued on, but this time in a quieter tone than before, as not as many knew the versus as far as thus follows. But those who did, sang it with perfect voicing, as many would chime in randomely.

_Masquerade!  
__Seething shadows, breathing lies…  
__Masquerade!  
__You could fool  
__Any friend who ever knew you!_

_Masquerade!  
__Leering satyrs, peering eyes…  
__Masquerade!  
__Run and hide,  
__But a face will still pursue you!"_

Kiona and Steven walked over to the six friends, smiling, hand-in-hand. Kiona was indeed dressed as a peacock, with blue and green everywhere, including her mask, which was ornated with dark blue feathers. Not many were sure of what Steven was, but that he looked pretty darn good in it.

They were both obviously in an outrageously good mood, and struck up a surprisingly joyous conversation with the others, just as if they had been friends for awhile now. Their good company was appreciated, and all were again content.

Raven suddenly spoke up to her friends, a calm smile on her lips.

"_What a night!"_

Jinny gawked around the gigantic room once again.

"_What a crowd!"_

Victor looked to the pretty sophomore, and said, smiling,

"_Makes you glad!"_

Gar then finished his friend's sentence with refreshments stuffed into his mouth. He was thinking fondly of pastries at the time, so brought on his fake French accent while eating a croissant.

"_Makes you proud!  
__All the crème de la crème!"_

Kiona beamed in her own limelight.

"_Watching us watching them!"_

Jinny and Raven sighed in relief and said together,

"_And all our fears  
__Are in the past!"_

Victor put his hand to his forehead.

"_A whole month…"_

Steven spoke up this time, with an exasperated smile on his handsome face.

"_Of relief!"_

Kiona looked at him and smiled in agreement.

"_Of delight!"_

Victor and Gar rested their shoulders and said together,

"_Of long-needed peace!"_

Raven took a cup of punch and Jinny took a chip, and both said at once,

"_And we can breathe at last!"_

Kiona smiled, dramatizing her every move.

"_No more notes!"_

Steven turned, eyes dancing.

"_No more ghost!"_

Raven then got herself some chips and dip.

"_Here's a health!"_

Gar raised his punch glass again, so all could see.

"_Here's a toast!  
__To a prosperous year!_

Victor pointed out the window and to the auditorium.

"_To the new chandelier!"_

Kiona and Steven seemed to be very enthralled with one another at the moment, and said together,

"_And may its splendor never fade!"_

Gar piped up, with no reason.

"_A whole month!"_

Raven looked at Gar calmly, with a small smile.

"_What a joy!"_

Jinny looked to Victor, who had been looking at her the whole time.

"_What a change!"_

Gar and Victor then said together at once, with Victor still looking to Jinny,

"_What a blessed release!"_

And then at that moment Gar just had to burst out one final sentence.

"_And what a Masquerade!"_

All eight of them then raised their punch glasses and drank, still chattering cheerfully. Richard then took Kori's hand gently and led her to another side of the room where it was quieter.

"Here, I have something for you," he said in his calm, but strong voice.

Kori almost screamed with joy when the soldier brought out a little velvet box from his pocket. He gently opened it to reveal a shimmering necklace. Its chain was of a sensitive sterling silver with a small diamond in the middle. She felt her eyes water with tears of joy as the junior wrapped the necklace around her soft neck and fastened it.

"Consider it an anniversary present." He said, brimming.

"But," she said, trying to hold her tears of happiness, "We have only been together a month, you did not need to…"

"Ssshh," he hushed her with his charming smile, and she could not help but smile back, although she felt like enveloping him in one of the biggest hugs she could muster.

She fiddled with her beautiful necklace, then let it drop. She let it fall in camouflage with her other white and silver necklaces. She almost made an effort to hide it, but without his notice.

"Kori, you can barely see it," he said, reaching out a hand to make the gift more visible.

"No, it is alright," she said, moving his hand, "I can see it perfectly." Unfortunately, the boy had an excellent gift of sensing when she was hiding something.

"Kori…"

She looked pleadingly at him, smiling weakly.

"_Please let's not fight…"_

He tried to comfort her once again.

"_Kori, you're free!"_

She still kept back his hand, with her own persuasive way.

"_Wait 'till the time is right…"_

He looked at her oddly.

"_When will that be?  
__It's just a necklace,  
__Not a crime!"_

He took lowered her mask, so he could see her eyes.

"_Kori, what are you afraid of?"_

She looked up into his eyes now, with a new determination for him not to find the answer to that question.

"_Let's not argue…"_

Richard held her hand in his.

"_Let's not argue…"_

She smoothly raised her mask back to her eyes, so he could not see her nervousness.

"_Please pretend…"_

He looked at her in an unspoken defeat.

"_I can only hope I'll…"_

She took his hand reassuringly.

"_You will…"_

The two looked into eachother's eyes, locking gazes without moving an inch. Without looking away they said together,

"…_understand in time…"_

She turned from him, but did not let go of his hand, for she now wanted to dance. He smiled at her, and she at him as the music increased.

They twirled and swirled together, gracefully combining step with song as the wordless music played on. After a brief moment, a boy about Richard's height came and asked Kori for a dance. Being the polite girl she was, Kori accepted.

The boy looked oddly familiar, and gave her a creepy feeling, as if she could not remember his face, but every one of his features. He stared her down as they moved with the song. He then spun her out of his grasp and into the arms of another boy who gave the same signals as the last. Only this boy was different. He would spin her with increasing force, and this intimidated her. He then yet again flung her from his grip, and another boy caught her into a spin and swung her around with him.

Kori was getting more and more confused, for each boy that she passed looked an awful like…

She did not get to finish her thought, as she was rescued from the boy's tight grip and fell into Richard's arms. She had felt as if she had been drained of all strength in those few minutes she spent dancing with the boys. She looked her tired eyes up to him and sighed.

"Thank you." She said, almost out of breath.

He only smiled and hugged her tighter. He, in turn, began to dance with her, but slower, as to keep Kori at a normal pace. She suddenly felt rejuvenated, and was no longer tired. They danced faster, this time singing loudly along with everyone else, laughing in between intervals of the verses.

"_Masquerade!  
__Paper faces on parade!  
__Masquerade!  
__Hide your face  
__So the world will never find you!_

_Masquerade!  
__Every face a different shade!  
__Masquerade!  
__Look around,  
__There's another mask behind you!_

_Masquerade!  
__Burning glances, turning heads…  
__Masquerade!  
__Stop and stare  
__At the sea of smiles around you!_

_Masquerade!  
__Grinning yellows, spinning reds…  
__Masquerade!  
__Take your fill,  
__Let the spectacle astound you!"_

Just as the last joyful words had been spoken, the electricity went out. The orchestra band students stopped playing, for they could not see the paper in front of their faces. The entire room was in pitch darkness, and some began to panic. A few screamed in shock, others groped around for a light.

But what was the most unsuspected of all was when all suddenly looked toward the pitch dark open gym door. The banner hung above was suddenly caught in an instant blaze of fire, and even more began to scream. But below the blazing banner stood a ghostly red and black figure with a skeleton skull styled mask. Beneath the firelight the creature looked like a demon, a true angel from Hell. All the people could do was stare in wide eyed fear as the deadly figure stepped menacingly toward them.

* * *

Oh my freaking GOSH! That took so long for me to write! Eeek! I'm starting right away on the next chapter, for all who wish it. 


	12. Why So Silent?

Hello again.

I feel so abused. My chorus class had to choose a medley to sing as a replacement for our stupid finals. There were many medleys from many musicals that we could have chosen from, including "Lion King" and "My Fair Lady", and "Guys and Dolls", just to name a few. There was also an Andrew Lloyd Weber medley we could have chosen from that had "Phantom of the Opera" AND "Music of the Night" in it. That would mean that I would have gotten to sing those songs! But NOOOOOOOOOO…..my class just had to pick "Newsies"…which is also a very nice musical in itself…but Phantom is better by FAR.

But, now onto a different topic that might (meaning it will) take awhile.

Alright, I am going to explain to those who do not know who the "Red Death" really is. Okay, if some of you know, the Phantom comes to the Masquerade dressed as the "Red Death" usually with some sort of skull for a mask, and most likely in red clothing. If none of you know the actual story behind this, then this will be a great education for you.

Edgar Allen Poe wrote a short story in the 1840's called "The Mask of the Red Death". I will tell you, it was one of the freakiest things I have ever read, granted, most of Poe's work freaks me out, yet I end up loving it anyway. Anyways, he wrote this story. Don't ask how I came across it, just know it was an accident and that curiosity got the best of me. My stepmom really shouldn't keep a whole book of Edgar Allen Poe stories on our shelf; it was just begging to be read.

Anyways, the story begins with a description of a disease called the "Red Death". It was mostly a combination of the bubonic plague and hemophilia. Be sure, it was a very gruesome disease, and was described very vividly, and quote, "blood was its Avatar, the gruesomeness and horror of blood." Basically, if you got the disease, you would start bleeding all over your body, but on the face most of all, and wouldn't stop. You then became delirious and were usually dead within a half hour. Yes, not a very pleasant thing.

Meanwhile, a prince named Prospero (note that this comes from the word "prosperity") wanted to go somewhere where he could avoid this disease. So he gathered all of his friends, family, and friends' family and took them to live in a secluded palace, away from the dying people. He locked the doors and kept everyone in to be healthy and happy.

Now, there were seven main rooms in this palace that was used for parties. One was entirely blue, one violet, another white, one orange, another yellow, and one green. But the seventh room, in the most westward part of the castle, was entirely black with red windows. Because of its terrifying nature, not a soul would go in. In this room there stood a giant ebony clock that would ring every hour. And when it would, everyone everywhere would stop and stare into space, speechless. After the ring, all normal activities would continue.

Well, one day, Prince Prospero decided he wanted to have a MASQUERADE party (heehee…seeing a connection now, are we?). Now, Poe made it very clear that this man had a pretty darn weird taste in clothes and design. Therefore everything was outrageous-looking and extravagantly outdone, but still in a fun and exciting way. So, this party had begun, just as any other masquerade, with all of the rooms full to its brims except for the black room, where the clock stood. The clock rung out as usual every hour, and the following reactions would be the same as before.

But in the blue room, when the clock struck midnight, and after the ring had rung twelve times, several of the masqueraders noticed a person in the crowd no one had noticed being there before. His description was as follows: he was dressed in burial garments that had blood splattered from head to foot. His entire outfit was as quoted "stained with the red horror". And his mask was a human skull, blood covering almost the whole mask. He was dressed as a victim of the Red Death. All who saw him were appalled and disgusted, but feared his presence.

Prince Prospero, being the man of cheer he wanted to be, was outraged that someone would attempt to make fun of the very thing they all feared. He pointed an accusing finger at the man and demanded that he should be seized and hanged for his impudence. But when his men tried to approach him, they found they could not, and that cowardice completely consumed them as the entire crowd shrank to the walls, leaving a straight path for the man to pass through.

The man walked right past the stunned prince and walked straight through the other five rooms, making his way to the room of red and black. After recovering from his fear, Prospero ran after him, accompanied by some of his friends. The prince, now wielding a knife, ran into the black room after the man. Just as Prospero was about to strike, the man spun around and looked him in the eye. Within a second, the prince fell dead. His friends ran in, gathered around the man, and yanked his cloak off. To their utter astonishment, there was nothing beneath the cloak, and it fell to the floor silently. Then and there they realized that he wasn't a victim of the disease, he _was_ the Red Death.

The Red Death was now known in the castle, and within days, every last person lay dead. The fires extinguished, the clock stopped, "And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all."

Alright, so basically, to sum it up, these idiots thought they could escape death, so death itself came as a physical form to prove them wrong…then killed them all.

OKAY…now that you know the story behind it, I can now answer reviews.

_**Rose-**HAHA…you never cease to make me laugh. Thank you! I am yet again very very happy and proud at how much you liked it. I need reviews like yours. And I am glad I FINALLY got that "Masquerade" done. It took just too darn long!_

_**StakeMeSpike04-**yeah, sorry about the very long update taking. Ironically, it took me a very short time period to write it, I just had to find the time to do it. My writing is improving! YAY! _

_**Lady of Darkness055-**YOU HAVE THE MOVIE TOO! IT'S SO AWESOME ISNT'T IT! I, for one, would watch it every day as well, but my friend is actually having a Phantom of the Opera PARTY where all of us crazed phans are gonna get as many candles as we can possibly fit in her basement and watch the movie. It is gonna be so COOL! _

_**Raven's Teacher-**you get to sing "All I Ask of You"? That's not fair at all! If my chorus class hadn't picked that stupid "Newsies" instead, I SO would have gotten to sing "Phantom of the Opera" and "Music of the Night", which would have been so awesome! But, I am so happy for you that you get to sing one!_

_**TheKRITIC-**you've never seen it? Wow, you're the first reader of this story who hasn't seen either the musical or the movie. It's alright if you think that. When I write the songs in, I try to make it seem like they're either saying it or singing it, it just depends on how you perceive it. And true, my error check does tend to hate me._

_**EmeraldShine-**thank you, and I'm glad you liked that part. I was afraid that I would describe it wrong, but apparently I did good enough! Yay!_

_**StarGazingMoonPrincess-**thank you! Glad you liked it, and I hope you like the update!_

_**TTHPfan-**I am glad you think so! Yes, I love Harry Potter too, and I secretly obsess with it as well, but I can have more than one obsession at a time. _

Okay…now I can FINALLY get back to the story.

* * *

The crowd gawked in terror as the shadowed figure inched nearer, slowly but quickly at the same time. Not many could see the look on his face, but all could see his eyes. His menacing horrible eyes. They seemed to glow in the darkness as the fearful students shrank as far away as the size of the room would allow, which was not far enough.

His deadly reflection in the firelight made his appearance even more ghastly. He was dressed entirely head to foot in blood-red crimson, with a velvety cape that trailed him like a shadow itself. His mask was like most in the room, covering the eyes and nose but exposing the mouth. But his looked in almost every way like that of a shadowed skull. What hung at his waist was what all knew to be a real sword, lined with pale gold and a red skull on the handle.

With each horrifying step he took, the students seemed to gasp for air. He only grinned a calm and evil smile as he continued to make his way down the stairs. He looked all around the room, but never at Kori. All in the room gasped again as they heard him speak.

"**_Why so silent gentlemen?  
_**_**Did you think that I had left you for good?"**_

Just as he said this, the table nearest to him burst into flames, allowing everyone in sight to see his morbid masked face. People surrounding the table screamed and ran in fright to find a safer place. Some ran to the doors, but found they were locked. Before panic could ensue, they all silenced at his calm, yet overpowering voice.

"**_Have you missed me gentlemen?  
_**_**I have written you an opera!"**_

He reached the bottom of the stairs, to everyone's terror. And beneath his ruby cloak he drew a large bound manuscript with writing on the front. Before any onlookers could read what it said, they were grimly interrupted.

"_**Here I bring the finished score:  
**_'_**Don Juan Triumphant'!"**_

He then carelessly tossed the manuscript in Gar's direction. Gar caught it with difficulty, as the weight of it nearly dragged the boy to the floor at the time of impact. All stared at Gar, wondering what and why he had given it to him. They then quickly regained their attention back to the Phantom as he spoke again, but this time even more threateningly.

"_**I advise you to comply,  
**__**My instructions should be clear.  
**__**Remember, there are worse things  
**__**Than a shattered chandelier…"**_

He said this with cold venom dripping from his hateful voice, and all knew that this was the man who killed Mark, and that this was the man who was not to be messed with.

No one moved. All stood still, afraid to move a muscle. The Phantom finally turned his icy eyes towards Kori, and stared her down to the point of utter horror. And to all's dismay, the man stepped his way through the masqueraded crowd, all parting from his side, afraid to be near him. He walked nearer and nearer to the girl, and everyone continued to move. Those standing closest to Kori shrunk back a few feet behind the girl, acknowledging that she would follow suit. But she didn't.

She stood as still as a statue, unmoving. Her gloved hands at her sides, her breathing low and silent. She stared at him with her eyes of evergreen, almost in a way of confusion. She stood straight and tall, not moving her gaze. Her facial expression was blank, and her tan cheeks went pale. Her friends surrounding looked on in fear. They were utterly confused and afraid of why she hadn't moved, and why he was getting nearer and nearer to her and no one else.

He stepped up to her silently, his feet making no sound from the floor. He got so close that his face was only inches from hers. He softened his eyes, and she, in turn, did the same. She lowered her shoulders, as if in a sigh of breath. She gazed on into his threatening but adoring eyes as his softness became more bearable. She saw him glance over to Richard in a split second. He then flashed his eyes back at her, and now they flickered with anger and jealousy.

Within the work of an instant he thrusted his hand toward her neck, reached through all the hiding necklaces above, and tightened his fist around the diamond necklace she received from Richard. He then yanked it from her throat and screamed at her, angrily dangling the necklace in front of her face.

"_**Your chains are still mine,  
**__**You will sing for me!"**_

He turned on his heel and shuffled a few angry steps from her before throwing something to the ground. Before anyone knew what had happened, a blaze of fire spurted up where he once stood, but extinguished just as quickly as it had came, leaving a smog of smoke surrounding.

Not many could see the look on Kori's face as the smoke raised, but Raven saw. Kori's cheeks were stained with rolling tears, her breathing uncontrollable. Her eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and her hands were shaking. Raven looked on, not sure what to do. Kori continued to stand unmoving, planted in the same spot as before. But just as the smoke began to clear, Raven's eyes lit up with controlled fear.

As the smog cleared the area where Kori stood, she then dropped to the floor like a dead leaf. Some began to scream, and many friends crowded all around the unconscious girl. Raven was the first to reach her, and checked for a pulse. It was there, but it was frightfully faint, and unsteadily beating.

"Victor," she said calmly, but all who heard knew she was nervous, "Pick her up, we need to get her some help."

Victor was in complete shock himself. When he picked up the light sophomore, for the first time he had a good look of her face. Fear, anxiety, and stress shown through her features, even in unconsciousness.

"Poor thing," he muttered softly.

* * *

Wow, I think that was one of the shortest chapters I have ever written, don't you agree? Sorry about that, it will be longer next time, promise! 


	13. A Raven's Tale

Hi all.

I am very sad to say that after this chapter I won't be able to update for a couple of weeks seeing as I will be in Florida for summer vacation. Yes, I am venturing off to Tallahassee, where I will be visiting with family and going to the beach on various occasion of my will. All a part of the wonder that is summer. Oh yes, and by the way, SCHOOL IS OUT! WOOOHOOO MAN! I'M GONNA BE A FREAKING SOPHOMORE! YEAAAAAAAAAH!

Alright, now that _that_ is out of my system, I am now free to continue on with the review answerings.

_**TTHPfan-**WHAT? That is so unfair about your school getting to sing those songs…darn them. Oh my gosh! I saw the thing for stranded, and it made me so happy! I was so excited when I saw the pictures, I almost screamed!_

_**StakeMeSpike04-**Oh my gosh! You read that Edgar Allen Poe story in English too! It was called "The Cask of Amontillado" by the way (if it's the same one I read), and I loved it. I liked how it was written, and in reading it I found out just how naïve I can be. Apparently I am not good with symbolism and comprehension, because when I first read it, I didn't know he was trying to kill the guy! I thought he was trying to help him! Yes, I am weird, but that is okay to some people. If you want any other Poe stories, I recommend "A Telltale Heart" if you want something else to freak you out at night._

_**Rose-**I am so glad you thought it was so cool! HAHA. I have never heard someone refer to the Red Death as their "homeboy", so that was VERY amusing._

_**Lady of Darkness055-**why on earth would your friends not like it? Almost all of my friends like it; I'm just the only one who wrote a fanfiction on it._

_**RavensAngst-**wow. I just LOVE it when you say how much you like something I write. I was wondering when you would finish the final chapters! Keep reading!_

_**Laurashrub-**thank you! I personally would never want a necklace ripped from my neck! I never really thought of how much it would hurt. OW! And, I honestly don't know why I didn't reply to you last time…that was weird of me. Sorry. _

_**Jaina 12-**ooh, I'm so glad you liked it! I'm sorry it took me so long to update, I was grounded from the computer for quite some time now. Hope you like the new chapter!_

_**GS Dragono-**really happy you like, keep reading!_

_**StarGazingMoonPrincess-**it's a good thing my stress can be shared. I saw the first chapter of your story, and it looks pretty good. I need to read on, though, I am very anxious to! _

_**Linkinparkh2over-**I don't know if I have the same testing as you do, but I definitely have finals this week, and oh boy, do I hate those! Good luck with them!

* * *

_

The night at the dance was still young, and yet Kori had not yet emerged from the doors of the school clinic. The rest of the students, after their rude awakening, warily continued on with the masqueraded party. After awhile, things seemed a bit more cheery, and the other people surrounding got livelier with each passing hour.

But Raven was not to be seen. She had accompanied Kori to the clinic, and had not returned. Richard, becoming worried, left the gym and made his way to the nurse's office. On appearing in the hallway, he saw Raven exit the door to the clinic. He spoke out to her so she could hear him.

"Raven, is she alright?"

"Yes, she is fine, but she will not see anyone right now." She said, watching the crestfallen look spring onto his face. She then turned on her heel and began to walk in the opposite direction, with an odd quickness in her pace that seemed an awful lot like nervousness. Her sharp black high heels clanged with the floor harmoniously as she attempted to leave Richard dumbfounded.

"Raven, wait!" he called to her, starting to follow, "Raven!"

She did not stop, she didn't even turn around. She kept her steadfast gaze ahead of her without turning her head to look at the boy.

"Richard, don't ask me," she said coldly, but uneasily, "I don't know any more than you do."

She continued to move, but this time Richard caught up to her.

"You know that's not true. You know something, or you've seen something…or…" he pondered for a quick thought, after looking at her nervous features, "you _have_ seen something, haven't you? You're hiding something from the rest of us, and don't deny it."

She and him were moving incredibly fast, but she now stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him shakily. For a moment she even lost her sternness and ice.

"I don't know what you're talking about…don't ask me…"

"Raven…" he said, stopping her, "please, for all our sakes…"

She looked unnervingly around her from left to right, glancing down the empty and dark hallways as to ensure they weren't being watched. Raven knew that no one can ever, _ever_ be completely sure of whether you are truly alone in that school. She turned back to Richard with a sigh.

"Fine."

She turned and opened a classroom door that Richard could have sworn was locked. Only the electricity in part of the school had been returned, leaving random rooms to lay in darkness. This room was one of them. Raven walked straight into the room without touching the switch. Richard was puzzled at this and attempted to flick on the light. No use.

The Goth then strode softly over to where a computer lamplight stood. With a flick of a switch the light bulb sprang to life, causing dim electricity to pool through the dark classroom.

"Raven," Richard said, wide-eyed, "how…how did you…how did that…?"

She cut into his sentence coldly and sternly,

"Only_ some_ of the electricity is out…"

Richard only stared on in stupidity.

"Wha…HUH?"

The dark girl merely sighed, as if futilely trying to explain simple addition to a little child.

"Not all of the school has been put into darkness," she replied steadily, "When evil comes, and black surrounds, there are always areas where light can shine through…even in night."

Richard's bug-eyed stare stayed the same, only with a wise proverb to add to his confusion. He then lost his dumb look and grew back his own sternness.

"…That's beside the point. You still haven't told me all you know about…that thing."

"That thing?" she asked, with a raise of her brow.

"You know what I mean," he said with a nervous loss of balance.

Raven hesitated, and did not speak. She stood for a few moments, staring into the dim computer lamp. She didn't move for awhile, and Richard could tell that she was wondering what to say and how to begin. Before Richard's own thoughts would have the chance to stray, he jumped as she spoke out suddenly but at her normal calm pace.

"It was a long time ago…years…" she trailed off, trying to remember. There was a short pause, and she abruptly began to talk again.

"Do you remember the Summerfest?" she asked in her same monotone.

"…yes."

The Summerfest was the yearly carnival that came to the school grounds once a year. In the beginning of every June, a combination of theme park rides, raffles, circus folk, and stuffed bears were all wrapped into a one celebration that was held in every and any place on campus. Almost every student at the school, Goth or prep, usually found an excuse to be there. Many would bring younger siblings to enjoy the festivities as well, although not as many were brought as would be expected.

"I was about seven years old," she said, almost dazedly.

Richard cocked an eyebrow, wondering what force of hell had forced her to go to a carnival, nonetheless one as happy and cheerful as the Summerfest.

"Why were you…?"

"I went to a private school, remember?" she cut in sharply, "It was for a class field trip, and I was forced." She said this in a tone that meant this statement would totally end the topic, but Richard had to suppress a snicker.

But Raven ignored his childish antic, and continued on.

"And, during that particular year, the theme was strangeness in itself. It was the most circus-like year they had ever held the Summerfest. There were tumblers, conjurers, other pointless human oddities…"

"Go on…" Richard said, now fully into her story.

"And there was a sight that, at the time, made me fear ever going back to the Summerfest."

"What was that?"

"There…was a little boy…locked in a cage…" she trailed off, and Richard had never seen her this concerned in the way she spoke.

"A _cage_?" He said, furrowing his brow, "Are you sure it was a cage, I mean this is…"

"It was a cage, Richard." Raven cut in, her voice slightly raised. Richard didn't say anything for a few moments, afraid he may set her off. After a few seconds he spoke warily.

"Who _was_ this boy?"

Raven shuddered and looked in the other direction, her right arm suddenly gripping her left.

"He was a freak of nature," she paused, "they made him seem more like a monster than a man."

"Was he…deformed or something? I mean, why would they put him in a…"

"It would seem he was deformed from birth. But I will never know," she paused again, "they were so cruel to him. They didn't seem like bad caretakers in front of the other people, but when the crowds left, they were just so…"

"Man…" Richard sighed, "poor kid."

"And then," she said, quickening her voice, "he went missing. He had obviously escaped."

"Well I can see why…"

"But they never found him," she returned, finally turning her gaze to finally meet Richard's, "Some said that he died."

"But he didn't die, did he?" Richard said darkly.

"Everyone else just forgot about him, but I never can," she turned away again, "and I never will. For in the darkness, I have seen him again…"

"So this is who this 'Phantom' guy is?"

"Yes."

"Does he ever speak to you?"

"No," Raven looked surprised that the question was even thought of.

"He's never spoken to me before; we just have a mutual understanding. I leave him alone with his problems and he leaves me alone with mine." She glanced down on the computer keyboard, "and each of us has good reason to do each."

"But you know so much about him,"

"I am the person who he speaks through, yes," she replied, "merely because of our safe understandable distance to one another."

She paused again, staring into space, as if wondering what to say.

"But, Richard," she said, "be aware that he was and is such a prodigy! He is a scholar, architect, musician…"

Richard was able to piece the puzzle together, mumbling to himself.

"A composer...?"

"He has too many talents for his own good," she stared into Richard's eyes with a look of stone, "and for ours as well."

Richard then began to grow a slight strip of panic in the pit of his stomach. His mind raced at how truly horrible Kori's situation was.

"Th-this man is…is pretty dangerous, isn't he?"

Raven's eyes widened, and they flickered with a light of a losing battle of self control.

"I shouldn't have told you that, Richard," she breathed, "I've told you too much…"

She abruptly got up from her chair, and swiftly opened the door to leave.

"…and there have been too many accidents," she added before she could try to go.

"Accidents!" Richard almost yelled, "Raven, how can you say that? You know the truth, and you won't tell anyone!" he stared her down coldly, "You know nothing strange that happens in this school is an accident."

"Nonetheless," Raven put in quickly with a turn of her delicate head behind her shoulders to look at him, "there have been too many."

And with that she swooped from the doorway and into the hall, where seeping darkness awaited. Richard followed quickly after her.

"Raven! Raven!" he scanned the hallway left and right, but Raven was nowhere to be found.

And as soon as Richard left and closed the door to that dark classroom, the dim computer lamp burst and went out, leaving the room's entity to sleep in darkness.

* * *

Sorry, another short chapter, but it's not all bad…I will try to continue on when I get back from my trip!" 


	14. Notes II

Alrighty, aren't you all so happy I am here?

Yes, your enthusiasm is eminent.

I am very happy to announce that I had the MOST AWESOME time on my vacation! During my time in Florida, I went to Tallahassee for a few days, then went to St. Augustine. And OH MY! I now LOVE that city! Since it was founded in the 1500's (one of the oldest cities in the country) it is said to be super haunted, and boy was it creepy…wow. Let's just say if I didn't believe in ghosts before, I DO NOW! I went on the ghost tour of the city, and it was so creepy, and it was all at night. My group and I got to shout at passing cars "Unbelievers! BE DOOMED!" Ooooh, man, that was fun. St. Augustine is also on a beach, so I got to leap and frolic in the ocean as well. After my little escapade on burial grounds I returned to Tallahassee, then went to Atlanta, then back home to awesome Illinois! Don't laugh.

Although, I've been home for a whole week now, so you must be wondering how I could possibly take even LONGER to update? Well, just as I get home, my oh so wonderous computer decides that it wants to shut its hard drive down! Oh, and did I fail to mention that this deletes ALL of my saved Word documents (aka: EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER WORKED ON THAT IS OR WILL BE ON Although my computer is all fixed now, it still leaves me with an almost empty saved drive. Yes, so whilst I was recovering from my increasing anger at my stupid computer, I also had to take the time to actually go to go to my stories, copy, paste onto a BLANK word document, and copy and paste until I have everything saved in my computer again! No, not very pleasant. Especially when your Word document starts asking you all these stupid questions EVERY time I go there!

Oh well, all is done, and I finally get my way with my computer (take THAT, you stupid excuse of a piece of technology! You help me in life in no way WHATSOEVER!).

I would also like to add that I revised chapter five (Phantom of the Opera and Music of the Night). Yeah, I reread over that chapter, and the loss of action and movement that I had put in there (compared to the amount of action in my head) is sickening. So I added quite a bit to it, more or less to make myself feel better. If any of you liked the first version (aka: the dull version, in my opinion), please tell me.

Okay….I'll bet most of you are hoping that this annoying girl will just cut to the chase already and answer reviews. And that I will certainly do.

_**RavensAngst-**oh, no, it's never too late to review…especially with me, since I practically thrive off of other people's happiness. I explained it in BETTER depth than the movie? Wow. For that I thank you even more! I'm glad you liked my description of the way I put words…I feel so flattered…did I say I was a dork? I don't remember…did someone ELSE say I was a dork? How DARE they! Well, if they did, they wouldn't be very far off. I usually put myself under the "loser" category. Although my friend does call me a dork very often…_

_**Slade's Downfall-**I just love that movie! It is my favorite movie ever! Glad you like!_

_**EmeraldShine-**my writing is clever! YAY! I'm glad someone thinks so…_

_**StarGazingMoonPrincess-**OMG while I was on vacation, something screwy was happening with the site with ME too, and I couldn't review stories either! I couldn't even sign in! It made me so mad, I was about to throttle the computer. Thank you! And I am SO happy that you got to see the movie, it is just so much better when you see it for yourself…sigh…it's so beautiful…_

_**TTHPfan-**eek, you must have taken your finals later than I did…at least they're all over now! I HATE FINALS! THEY ARE STUPID!_

_**Laurashrub-**as you can see, you weren't the only one who had a computer of utter evilness. I don't know why I don't take GCSE's…I assume it's a bad thing…_

_**Rose-**yes…secrets are always fun…thank you very much and I am hoping your foul mood has improved since I FINALLY updated! Forgive me for that, by the way!_

_**StakeMeSpike04-**you live in Florida? Wow, that is a weird coincidence…if I saw you there that would be so cool, and not to mention unexpected…I wish you utter good luck on your future phics! _

_**Lady of darkness055-**I KNOW! SOPHOMORES RULE! I never got pennies thrown at me, but the phrase "you're a freshman?" with a stupid look on the speaker's face (apparently I look older than I am) still rings in my mind. Some people just never learn, do they?_

_**StarfireFowl-**you know, having that previous chapter as a chapter 13 never occurred to me…wow, that's weird…hope you like the next chapter!_

Oh, really? I actually finished all I have to say…? WOW. This is amazing. Well, I shall continue, and thanks again to all of the AWESOME people who review me! I would never EVER write on fanfiction if it weren't for you guys!

* * *

It was now Gar's turn to pace again as he and his jocky friend stood in the empty hallways, once again contemplating yet another problem with the X-ed ghost. It was their first day back from Christmas break, aka: the worst Monday in the history of life itself. Seventh hour had just ended a mere twenty minutes ago, meaning most of the school's entity remained completely and thoroughly empty. The hallways were once again left to sit and wait for dust to cover it until the next day would arrive.

Victor sat on a near windowsill, right leg propped up onto it and leaving the other dangling. He had a confuzzled look of impatience splashed onto his dark face. Gar continued to pace, taking every second glance he could at the giant manuscript held firmly in the hands of the senior, who was flipping through it with annoyance.

Before Victor could say a word, Gar finally had to speak.

"How can he expect us to do that…_play_ thing that he wrote…?"

"I don't know man…"

"And neither do I," Gar slammed his foot into the hard tile floor.

"I mean," the joking junior said with uneasiness, "We _are _able to do it, right?"

"Again, I dunno," Victor said, worry now slightly tugging on his expression, "We have done opera before, but this is a really difficult piece of musical."

"It is?" Gar said, raising an eyebrow, "I just figured that we would be against it, seeing as some freaky psycho dude wrote it, but…" he said, taking another look at the manuscript, "whatever floats your boat…"

"I'm serious, man," he said, gently leaping off his stoop and bringing the huge assemble of music to the oblivious boy, "Look at that."

Gar stared. Some people like to linger in their sight at seeing something, but Gar just let loose an all out gawk. The musical notes were scribbled neatly from left to right all the way across page after page. The notes looked extremely hard to achieve, and all in one sitting, along with acting altogether. Gar stuttered.

"That," Victor said, with an edginess in his tone that Gar knew would lead to frustration, "Is the most complicated piece of music I have ever seen introduced to a high school level!"

He brought the manuscript down, and flipped through more pages.

"And that's only one song!" he said, raising his tone even more, "All this time I have been looking over ONE song! The rest of this thing is probably even harder!"

"Vic," he said, almost sadly, "maybe we will find a way to work it out. Maybe the cast just needs some more advanced opera lessons. They know the stuff pretty well, all you have to do is…"

But Victor did not listen to his suggestion.

Gar knew that when Victor got _really_ mad, he would let it out in formal words. Not many people knew this, but Gar did, and he knew very well not to contradict him when he started shooting off the big 'smart' words. Usually in these situations, to prevent himself from being caught in Victor's own crossfire, Gar would use some of the few big words that he knew as well, just to help calm him down. Usually, on these occasions, when under the influence of anger, these two boys would actually sound…smart.

Before Gar could think, Victor burst out in a formal eruption.

"_Ludicrous!  
__Have you seen the score?"_

Gar knew his cue, and took it.

"_Simply ludicrous!"_

Victor didn't notice the formal war beginning, and continued.

"_It's the final straw!"_

Gar was finally able to come up with a word he had learned in a previous vocabulary class.

"_This is lunacy!  
__Well, you know my views…"_

Victor was beginning to walk in circles.

"_Utter lunacy!"_

Gar then looked to the floor, where the manuscript had been mercilessly thrown by the jock. He looked back up to his friend helplessly.

"_But we can't refuse…"_

Victor slumped into a chair and groaned, sinking the palms of his hands into his face.

"_Not another chandelier…"_

Gar then noticed two sealed envelopes on the windowsill where Victor had been sitting minutes before. Gar suddenly felt a very cold rush breeze past him as he saw the notes, but he ignored his oh so intelligent intuition and picked them up.

"_Look, Victor,  
__What we have here…"_

Victor's exasperated expression made up for any argument Gar could ever start with him. The both took their assigned letters cordially, almost afraid to open them. Victor was first to read his aloud.

"_Dear Victor,  
__Re my orchestrations:  
__We need another first bassoon.  
__Get a player with tone  
__And that third trombone  
__Has to go!  
__The boy could not be deafer,  
__So please preferably  
__One who plays in tune!"_

Victor snorted.

"The dude's got all this power, and yet he still manages to nitpick at the poor band kids."

"Yeah, I know," Gar said defiantly, "Look what he wrote ME!"

Victor listened and read along as Gar gave his friend view of the letter as he read.

"_Dear Garfield,  
__Vis a vis my opera:  
__Some chorus members must be sacked.  
__If you could, find out which  
__Has a sense of pitch…  
__Wisely, though,  
__I've manage to assign  
__A rather miner role  
__To those who cannot act!"_

"Ouch…" Gar stated, "that was a definite burn to someone we know…"

"Aw, MAN…" Victor threw his hands in the air, "When that girl sees what he said, she's gonna pop her overly pruned lid!"

Before the two could even try to get another word in edgewise, the hallway doors swung open, striking eminent fear into the boys' hearts at the sight of Kiona. She stormed towards the boys, Steven at her heels, each holding a similar note to the ones Gar and Victor had received.

"_Outrage!"_

She screamed at them, causing all three boys to flinch. Victor quickly contained his composure and shot back at the brunette with full force, she shouldn't have caught him at such a bad time in such a rude way. He retaliated at the girl with sour venom.

"_What is it now?"_

She took no heed of his foul mood, but proceeded with her own.

"_This whole affair is an outrage!"_

Gar was feeling a bit calmer than Victor, and tried to take a different route.

"_Kiona, please…"_

This didn't stop Victor.

"_Now what's the matter?"_

Kiona violently thrust open her letter and flew it in front of Victor's vision. She held it about two inches from his nose, which to this Victor returned with a snort and a glare. She brought back the paper haughtily and pointed to it.

"_Have you seen the size of my part?"_

Gar scuttled to her side, a forced worry etched on his face.

"_Kiona, listen…"_

Steven interrupted all of them, suddenly bursting out in an angry voice.

"_It's an insult!"_

Victor was almost past his boiling point. He spun around from Kiona's view and glared menacingly at Steven.

"_Not you as well!"_

Steven only got up in his face, shoving his own letter in front of him to meet Victor's impatient eyes. Neither of the boys had seen Steven so angry. Apparently no one should mingle with his popularity, lest this be the price. Steven continued on his rampage.

"_Just look at this,  
__It's an insult!"_

Gar lowered Steven's arm.

"_Please understand…"_

Victor spun back around to yell at the diva, who was now staring angrily out the window, annoyingly tapping her heel.

"_Kiona! Kiona!"_

She turned snobbishly to Victor at hearing his retaliation. She stomped over to them, leaning her weight on one leg, bending the other. She brought her hand to her chest and rolled her eyes.

"_The things I have to do for my art!"_

Steven rolled his eyes as well, and pointed to the menacing manuscript, still on the floor.

"_If you can call that gibberish 'art'!"_

A thought of complete and full reason swelled into Gar's mind. He ran up to the manuscript and picked it up gingerly. He gave Victor a look saying that they both knew well to treat this man's 'work' with respect, no matter how foul their mood was.

A short silence followed, with all staring at the manuscript held in Gar's hands. Suddenly the doors swooped quietly open, revealing Kori and Richard on the other side. They walked slowly toward the group, both with an expression none could define. But on Kori's face stood a tinge of embarrassment; she knew if she wasn't being discussed yet, she would be soon.

As if predicting the obvious future, Kiona tossed her head at the sight of her younger sister. She stared her sister down, malice dripping from every fiber in her being. She scoffed at Kori dryly, turning to the others.

"_Ah! Here's our little flower!"_

Gar seemed a little brighter after seeing Kori and Richard…then again, anything makes you brighter when you're dealing with two angry popular seniors and one frazzled jock. Gar smiled, relieved to find at least _someone_ who wasn't mad. Besides, he knew the two and they all got along quite well otherwise. He noticed that Victor seemed to lighten up as well at the sight of the couple. His face softened, and he looked more at ease. Gar, on the other hand, walked up to them and greeted them warmly yet cautiously.

"_Ah, Miss Anders,  
__Quite the lady of the hour!"_

Victor, now much more recovered from his bad mood, walked over to them as well, addressing Kori also.

"_You have secured  
__The largest role  
__In this 'Don Juan'"._

As a crude interruption to their attempt to peace, Kiona only snuffed to 'herself', so that all could hear.

"_Kori Anders?  
__She doesn't have the voice…!"_

Victor spun around, fully fed up with the girl.

"_Kiona, PLEASE!"_

Richard approached Victor, a curious look on his face.

"_Then I take it you're agreeing…"_

Kiona ignored them both, murmuring loudly to Steven.

"_She's behind this…"_

Most heard, but none listened. A more important issue was at hand. Gar walked over to Victor and stood next to him, his own expression becoming exasperated.

"_It appears we have no choice."_

All of a sudden, Kiona burst out overpowering all of them, pointing an accusing finger at her sister.

"_She's the one behind this!  
__Kori Anders!"_

And for the first time that night, all heard Kori speak. Although meek and sweet on the outside, most had never seen her angry. Her returning outburst to her older sibling made the entire group jump, including Kiona. It took an extreme source to make this girl mad, but when she was off, she was just a stick of dynamite waiting to explode.

"_How DARE you!"_

Kiona fully recovered within a second and shot back.

"_I'm not a fool!"_

Kori stormed closer and closer to her sister, steam raising from the ground wherever she walked.

"_You evil woman!_

_How DARE you!"_

Kiona glared and moved her head slightly to the side, letting her envious rage fly from her tongue.

"_You think I'm blind?"_

Kori widened her eyes in frustration, but continued to yell.

"_This isn't my fault!  
__I don't want any part in this plot!"_

Gar swooped over to Kori and put a hand on her raised arm.

"_Kori, of course…"_

Victor scooted out of the group and got in front of Kori, so that he stood in between the feuding sisters.

"_But WHY not?"_

Steven looked utterly appalled at the thought of someone else playing _his_ girlfriend's part. He popped his head out from behind Kiona's steaming head.

"_What does she say?"_

Victor ignored him, and proceeded to consult Kori. He spoke a bit calmer, with a tinge more of understanding.

"_It's your decision…"_

He paused for a moment, then burst out with tensions high.

"…_but WHY not!"_

Before Kori could answer, Kiona pointed at her again, with the obvious fires of jealousy burning her alive.

"_She's backing out!"_

Gar came on Kori's other side, sounding half reassuring and half demanding.

"_You have a duty!"_

Kori interrupted him before he could continue, her own face showing signs of fear and refusal.

"_I cannot sing it,  
__Duty or not!"_

She looked positively flustered; with the two most powerful thespians breathing down her neck to do what she knows would lead to her doom. She began to back away as the boys walked closer to persuade her further. Richard caught her shoulders from behind, nudging her to his side, with his arm protectively held around her. He looked into her nervous eyes, almost immediately calming them.

"_Kori…Kori…  
__You don't have to…  
__They can't make you…"_

At that very moment, everyone turned to their right to see Raven standing next to them all, a note in her pale hands. Not a soul had seen or heard her enter, and most took a second or so to comprehend how she had gotten there without being noticed.

Gar's eyes widened in happiness at the sight of the Goth as he struggled to keep his balance on absolutely nothing. He almost tripped on himself before he just decided to stay still and listen to what Raven had to say. He turned and gave Victor a nervous look and mouthed inaudibly "When did _she_ get here?"

Victor just smiled evilly at Gar and was pondering whether he should push him at her or not. He innocently looked the other way and was about to shove him when Raven spoke to Richard.

"_Please, Richard, another note."_

As Raven held out the letter to read, everyone in the room let out a loud groan. Victor put his hands to his head, and Gar looked as if he were about to pull out his own hair. If some of them weren't both tired and exhausted from this ordeal, they definitely were now. Several of them make complains with other means of body language. After a few long seconds of, to be blunt, downright whining, Raven looked up from her note.

She stood poised, letter outstretched, prepared to read. She looked about her, as if waiting for them to shut up. They soon diverted their attention to her, all becoming tense and focused, waiting to hear. The room became so silent that when Raven spoke, her deadpanned monotone echoed ghastily off the halls as she read aloud slowly.

"_Fondest greetings to you all!  
__A few instructions just before rehearsal starts."_

Raven then looked over to face Kiona.

"_Kiona must be taught to act,  
__Not her normal trick of strutting 'round the stage."_

Kiona's large jaw suddenly dropped. A huge frown appeared on her features as she tried to find a way to retaliate, and failed. As she was about to yell out, Victor silenced her with a raise of his hand; they all knew that the Phantom was nowhere near fond of her or her voice. It was honestly all too obvious to them; they all wanted to hear what else was written. Raven continued.

"_Our Don Juan must gain some weight,  
__It's not healthy in a boy of Steven's age."_

Steven looked down at his stomach.

"I'm not _that_ skinny!"

No one responded to this. Most of them just looked away, innocently refusing to say anything.

"HEY!"

"Just keep reading," Richard said, eager to change the subject. Raven obliged and went on.

"…_And my managers must learn  
__That their place is in an office, not the arts."_

"HEY!" both Gar and Victor yelled in unison.

"I SO know how to do the...arts," Gar stuttered as Raven looked at him for a split second. She read on, as if they had said nothing. But before she read the next line, she stood frozen for a moment, but read anyway, her voice a bit more shakily.

"_As for Miss Kori Anders,"_

All eyes landed on the vibrant redhead as her eyes went big. She clutched Richard's arm with such force that Richard himself had to suppress a yell of pain. Raven continued, but her voice got more nervous, and she stuttered with every couple of words that was being taken out of her mouth.

"…_No doubt she'll do her best, it's true,  
__Her voice is good. She knows,  
__Though should she wish to excel  
__She has much still to learn.  
__If pride will let her return to me,  
__Her teacher…"_

The only thing that the group could do was stand deathly still as Raven suddenly cut off her strain of speech. A cold chill swept through all of them, stinging every spine as Raven shakily uttered the last two words of the letter.

"_Her teacher…"_

Raven seemed to regain her composure in the awkward silence that followed, most staring at Kori. Gar and Victor had a look of utter shock on their faces. And in their teenage heads did they ponder the horrible mental pictures that would require the twisted relationship Kori and the Phantom had.

Victor shook slightly from his mental picture, but Gar simply whispered a "you go girl" in Kori's direction. At that comment Richard stepped in front of the girl defensively. Gar immediately got the picture and scooted away from her. All relations were lost with Raven's continuing voice.

"…Your Obedient Friend,"

There was a short pause.

"…and Angel."

* * *

OH MY GOODNESS! For the umpteenth time, everyone, I am super super HUMUNGOUSLY SORRY for taking this long to update! Please forgive me… 


	15. Twisted in Every Way

HI!

Uuuuuummmm…okay. First, let me explain why I've been gone for like, um…a long time. And, might I say, I have a pretty darn good excuse, if I may say so myself.

To be blunt, I am in summer school. No, I am not stupid, and no, I have not failed any classes that require retaking. I am merely taking two classes during the summer (Health and Communicating, to be exact) so that I don't have to take them during the school year. You see, there are a certain amount of classes that are required for me to graduate, and, well…to be honest, I would much rather NOT waste two hours of my school day doing the classes I could be getting done in the summer. And, also to my benefit, since I am getting Health and Communicating out of the way now, I am free to take my Advanced Drawing and Painting class AND Choir during the school year. YAY FOR ME!

And soooo….since I have classes and go to "school", that means I have homework. Yes, and since our wonderful school is going to be fitting an entire semester's worth of classes into six weeks…well, let's just say that we have a crapload of homework just about every night.

And, ironically, I had two MAJOR projects due on the same day (go figure). For Health I hade to do a 3-5 page report on the Bubonic Plague (sounds fun, don't you think?) and for Communicating I had to recite a 4-6 minute speech on Bonnie and Clyde. Yay for me. So this means that I have had to be doing a LOT of stuff lately, therefore explaining my very extended absence.

My birthday was on July 5 (YAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEE!), so I couldn't even begin to update then because of all the present getting and party-throwing. And speaking of which, for my birthday I got the "Phantom of the Opera" book by Gaston Leroux! I was SO wanting that book! My grandma got the really old-fashioned one for me, so it looks really authentic! I also got the 1943 "Phantom" movie. I still have yet to watch it, but it looks pretty good.

Okay, so now that I am finished ranting and explaining myself to a probably fed up audience of readers who would rather just skip that entire four paragraphs above that just probably wasted your reading time, I can finally continue with my story.

(I just realized how long that sentence was…)

_**StakeMeSpike04-**YOU went to St. Augustine too? That is so weird! I must admit, along with our too many similarities, we also have the same happenings occur to us. That's TOO WEIRD! Dang…what next?_

_**Rose-**you go tell this "Cat" person that she is an utter DISGRACE to POTO phans everywhere! No, not really. That's actually funny that she would think Phantom was written by Shakespeare. Did Shakespeare write musicals? Hmm…You haven't seen the play! Dear girl, you SO MUST! It makes the movie all the more better to watch when you have the experience of seeing the Broadway production! And, to answer your question, yes, Madame Giry did read the last note during the play, but the Phantom's voice took over a couple lines through, so it seemed like he was saying it himself anyway. That's why they just made him say the whole thing in the movie._

_**StarfireFowl-**I know, I wish I could go back to Florida any day! And I agree with you, their arguments are always so funny!_

_**GS Dragono-**thank you! I honestly hoped I did well with the fitting of characters, your input made me feel more confidant about it._

_**Laurashrub-**HAHA…I can just picture Speedy staring at his stomach…I personally love their arguments and the tension it brings. Sometimes, me and my friend would act out the conflicting Carlotta and Christine part (I was Christine and she was Carlotta). I think it was meant to be funny, since I crack up every time I hear the song._

_**Wylkin-**thank you for being gracious with the wait. I didn't know you had been reading until now, I guess reviews mean more than people think! Glad you like!_

_**Paul P.S. Sullivan-**thank you for being understanding about the wait. Thank you so much for thinking so highly of my story! Hope you like the next chapter!_

_**Jaina 12-**I'm glad your glad I'm back! YAY! I am so anxious to write the last two songs, it's driving me crazy! I'm gonna put so much action in it, I just can't wait!_

_**RavensAngst-**you are a bad reviewer! OO Dear goodness…you are far too hard on yourself…and besides, let's face it, with me (and my incredibly long updates) it is almost physically impossible to have a review that is ever considered "too late". You went to NYC! NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR AT ALL! I hope you had fun, though! I just love the word "confuzzled", it's just so fun!_

I would also like to say that if you are incredibly familiar with the movie (and not as much the musical), this chapter may confuse you. The lyrics of songs in this chapter are strictly word-for-word from the musical, and some of you may not be familiar with it. The parts that were in the movie are still there, but they were placed differently. I personally like the musical version better (that's why I wrote it that way).

Okay, okay…I'm done now…

* * *

Everyone stood silent, and nobody moved. As the very word "Angel" reached their ears, they all shivered involuntarily, not wanting to know why the name troubled each of them so. After the awkward silence, Richard's face was the only one that seemed to change expression. Instead of a gawking stare into space, he had on his face a look of brightness in his eyes as new thought sprang into place.

He looked to the others, who merely looked back, confused at why he had such a sudden change of mood. A smile widened on his face as a confident voice escaped him.

"_We have all been blind,  
__And yet the answer  
__Is staring us in the face…  
__This could be the chance  
__To ensnare our clever friend…"_

Gar's eyes widened in understanding, and in noticing the usual signs of a person with a devious plan, he said excitedly,

"_We're listening,  
__Go on…"_

Richard smiled devilishly and continued.

"_We shall play his game,  
__Perform his work,  
__But remember we hold the ace…_

In this moment he turned to the confused Kori who still stood, clutching his arm, but with less force, as to hear what he had to say.

"_For if Miss Anders sings,  
__He is certain to attend…"_

Victor soon caught on, and grew excited as well.

"_We make certain the doors are barred…"_

Gar quickly jumped in, carried along by the idea.

"_We make certain the police are there…"_

Richard got a cold look that everyone knew as he looked to the two boys. His eyes seemed to turn to ice as he spoke slower and with less enthusiasm but with more venom.

"_We make certain they're armed…"_

Gar, Victor, and Richard then said at once, some in anger and some in triumph,

"_The curtain falls,  
__His reign will end!"_

Raven swept up to the boys in a mixture of anger and plea, saying the first that she had said in awhile. Her face was frustrated but her eyes held worry. She almost screamed at them in her confusing outburst.

"_Madness!"_

Victor, not one to be pushed around by a girl, returned her outbreak with a calm an collected reply.

"_I'm not so sure…"_

Gar stood behind his tall friend and looked to Raven, incredibly regretting that he had to disagree with her.

"_Not if it works…"_

Raven ignored Gar's attempt to peace with her, and continued with her anxiety attack.

"_This is madness!"_

Gar felt horrible for making Raven feel bad in any way, and attempted to cheer her in any way possible.

"_The tide will turn!"_

Raven merely shifted her gaze to Gar, and spoke quickly, as if she did not want to address him directly.

"_Garfield, believe me,  
__There is no way of turning the tide!"_

Victor stepped in front of Gar and retorted haughtily back to her.

"_You stick to ballet!"_

Richard moved Victor over, so that Raven could hear him out for once.

"_Then help us!"_

Her eyes widened, and she began to step backwards slowly.

"_Richard, I can't…"_

Richard only stepped forward with her.

"_Instead of warning us…"_

Richard, and now Gar and Victor, said louder, all three stepping closer to her.

"_Help us!"_

Raven's face did not change its state, but yet again her eyes betrayed her, showing every flustered emotion she would allow to escape. She stepped back further.

"_I wish I could…"_

Gar and Victor interrogated her further, each tone becoming more intimidating than the next. They said out loud at once,

"_Don't make excuses!"_

Richard stopped where he was, and studied Raven's expression, as if trying to decode her internal puzzle.

"_Or could it be  
__That you're on his side?"_

Raven stopped dead in her tracks, and instead, started moving back forward, this time the angry side slightly overpowering her worried one. Her voice shook the room as her cryptic deadpan became as emotional as anyone had ever heard it.

"_Richard, believe me,  
__I intend no ill…  
__But Richard, be careful,  
__We have seen him kill…"_

Gar and Victor heeded her words, but not once did they take them into logical consideration. They merely belted out to her together to get their own point across.

"_We say he'll fall,  
__And fall he will!"_

Kiona, who had been hushed until now, once again burst out, causing another vicious bicker with her sister.

"_She's the one behind this!  
__Kori!  
This is all her doing!"_

Steven, one who would always stand in defense of his girlfriend, began to scoff at the younger sibling as well.

"_This is the truth!  
__Kori Anders!"_

Richard motioned to Gar and Victor deviously, making a slashing mark with his hand across his throat.

"_This is his undoing!"_

Gar and Victor slapped their view to lock with Kori's, not caring whether she agreed or not. They now neared her this time, causing the same reaction from her as Raven. The two spoke with excitement but common persuasion.

"_If you succeed,  
__You free us all…  
__This so-called angel  
__Has to fall!"_

Richard looked away from the boys and glared out the window, where he knew, somehow, they were surely noticed. He squinted his eyes angrily.

"_Angel of Music,  
__Fear my fury…  
__Here is where you fall!"_

Raven saw him. She turned his shoulder away from the agape window with an irritated snap. She seemed more intent to get her point across this time as she stared him down coldly but steadfastedly.

"_Hear my warning!  
__Fear his fury!"_

Kiona had not heard Raven and Richard's transmission of shortened words. She just continued to rant and make excuses for why Kori could never _ever_ replace her as the lead role.

"_What glory can she hope to gain?  
__It's clear to all the girl's insane!"_

Gar looked to Victor and gestured to the red-haired girl who stood still and silent.

"_If Kori sings,  
__We'll get our man…"_

Steven looked Kori up and down disapprovingly, shaking his head between intervals, agreeing with his girlfriend on cue.

"_She is crazy!  
__She is raving!"_

Victor caught on to Gar's reasoning. He nodded and looked Kori up and down as well.

"_If Kori helps us in this plan…"_

Without even realizing it, it hit Victor like a brick. He then suddenly realized what great potential the girl had, musically and physically. He suddenly noticed that it was easy to find a girl like her as pretty, it had just never occurred to him before. This was probably because Richard would throttle anyone who thought even the slightest of impure thoughts of his girlfriend. That point aside, Victor could see that with a girl like Kori, the obvious attributes that made her so appealing to both Richard and the Phantom could be used to their advantage. The ghost was obviously taken with her, and in such a way that _she_ could easily manipulate _him_ if she had it in her.

The only problem with that was that he knew she didn't, couldn't, and wouldn't have it in her. She was too kind, too pure, too innocent to manipulate a man into doing what she wanted. And that was what Victor and Gar needed from her to take down the specter.

Gar, of course, hadn't thought this deeply into the plan, he just figured the Phantom guy thought she was hot and liked her singing. But Victor, being the smart boy he was, was coming up with ways that could allow Kori to be able to do the things expected of her.

Victor's thoughts were interrupted as Richard's angry voice rung out in his ears.

"_Say your prayers,  
__Black Angel of Death!"_

Kori, for the first time in a long while began to talk quietly to Richard, hoping and pleading vainly that he would listen.

"_Please don't…"_

Victor motioned over to Kori again, so that Gar could fully understand.

"_If Kori won't,  
__Then no one can…"_

Raven suddenly lost her anger with Richard, knowing at once that her own frustration was not helping his. She got calmer, but more fear edged out of her tone than it should have.

"_Richard, I beg you,  
__Do not do this…"_

Gar and Victor were even more invigorated now, beyond the point of sure giddiness, with their boyish restraints, of course. They began to belt out together in unison,

"_This will seal his fate!"_

Kori's words kept going unheeded. No one would listen. No one could hear. She suddenly became very angry, and tried to yell over them. It was useless. She tried in vain to get in a word in edgewise, and in finding she couldn't, let loose an all out cry of impatience and frustration.

"_If you don't stop,  
__I'll go MAD!"_

Her high-pitched shriek left all who heard speechless at wondering what could have made such an angry sound. Kiona herself was shocked at her sister's screaming ability. It must run in the family.

Once the hubbub had been silenced by the shy girl, all turned their surprised faces to the sophomore whose expression had almost entirely changed.

Her face was flushed, showing heavy breathing and improper temper control. Her eyes were now watering from stress and anxiety. Her once angry look now completely morphed into one that was fearful and teary. She ensnared Richard's arm and enclosed her hand painfully into his, he could tell she was nervous.

"_Richard, I'm frightened,  
__Don't make me do this…  
__Richard, it scares me,  
__Don't put me through this  
__Ordeal by fire…  
__He'll take me, I know…  
__We'll be parted forever…"_

Richard then got lost in her watering eyes. They held so much fright and loss of shelter, he could not look away. The amount of emotion she held only in her eyes could not be described. Richard himself was almost moved to tears at seeing her in this horrified state. He knew she was trapped, and he knew there was almost no way to help her. She bit her lip as a tear slid down her cheek.

"…_He won't let me go…"_

Richard froze. He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. He was afraid of what she would say to him next, his own extreme sympathy outweighing any emotion that emitted from him, minus his shock. Between the width of remaining seconds she unlocked her gaze with him, drawing back in her urge to cry.

She curved around Richard again, and dazedly inched into the direction of the window. The grey cloudy sky let only a fracture of the daylight pool into the room but what light that did shine was pale and dim. The bright electricity in the hallway did not clash with the daylight as Kori neared the sill. The dimmingly dead light that pooled into her eyes caused the effect on her face to seem lifeless. She held no spirit in her face, almost all emotion seemed to have drained. When she spoke, she struck pity into the souls of everyone present.

"_What I once used to dream,  
__I now dread…  
__If he finds me,  
__It won't ever end…  
__And he'll always be there,  
__Singing songs in my head…_

She turned around from the window to face them, and all caught full glimpse of her misery. Richard's heart wrenched with pain as she diverted her shimmering eyes to lie on his. Her lip quivered slightly, her voice shaking and cracked.

_He'll always be there,  
__Singing songs in my head…"_

Kiona could not believe what her sister was saying. She could not believe it. She would not believe it. Her sister was lying. She had to be. Kiona just stood, mouth agape and eyes wide, until her immediately thought words spilled quietly from her lips as she let out a low whisper that only Raven heard.

"She's mad…"

Richard approached her slowly but comfortingly. He turned her shoulders and stared her down, trying to empty his half-held confidence into her. His eyes softened and he caressed her shoulder as he spoke softly, so almost only Kori could hear.

"_You said yourself  
__He was nothing but a man…  
__Yet while he lives  
__He will haunt us  
_'_Till we're dead…"_

Kori's eyes watered again, as her nose reddened. She sniffed and gulped down her impending tears as her nervous eyes left Richard's and darted around the area simultaneously. She looked back at him, causing his stomach to lurch again with the sight of her pain. Her voice was almost at a whisper, but everyone heard.

"_Twisted in every way,  
__What answer can I give?  
__Am I to risk my life  
__To win the chance to live?  
__Can I betray the man  
__Who once inspired my voice?  
__Do I become his prey?  
__Do I have any choice?"_

Her sorrow and pain quickly turned to panic and fear, as evident fright lit up her face as her eyes widened. She seemed to stare into space again, looking ahead of her but not to anyone in particular. Her entire tone shook with panic as she shook slightly.

"_He kills without a thought,  
__He murders all that's good…  
__I know I can't refuse,  
__And yet, I wish I could…"_

She clutched her face in her hands, dropping them back down to cover her mouth loosely.

"_Oh God, if I agree,  
__What horrors wait for me  
__In this the Phantom's Opera…?"_

Raven's porcelain face stood stone still, but when Gar took a quick glance at her, he saw her blink suddenly, forcing an otherwise unnoticed tear. Her empathy with others made it even harder for her to watch situations like this, especially when she knew all the reasons and details to a full extent.

Richard cupped Kori's down faced chin into his hand, and brought her eyes to meet him again. He loosened his shoulders and spoke to her softly, but it still reached the ears of the onlookers.

"_Kori, Kori…  
__Don't think  
__That I don't care,  
__But every hope,  
__And every prayer  
__Rests on you now…"_

He then suddenly thrust her into a hug, embracing her shaking soul. The second she was in his arms, her inward stability broke down, and she began to cry bitterly.

Her body shook as tear after flowing tear streamed down her face. She gasped for breath every few seconds, trying to regain her composure, but failing each time. Richard held her tighter as her crying increased. She held it in for so long; and now it all swept out of her like an inevitable storm. She buried her face into his chest, staining his shirt with her tears. She clutched at his shirt weakly, for he was her shelter. In his arms, she could never be harmed. No man could ever rip them apart, Phantom or not. There was only Richard.

As Kori's gasps of breath lessened, and her crying decreased, she merely stood there, poised in his arms. She did not want the hug to end, although she knew it would soon. She knew everyone was still there, still watching, still waiting to see what _she_ would do.

Before she could force herself to think she felt Richard's chest harden. She looked into his face, and there she saw anger. He was not looking at her, but out the same window she had stared out of earlier. She could feel the intensity of his grip on her tighten as he clutched her closer to him, this time in a more protective way. He spoke at a steady pace with steadfast anger and downright malice.

All were surprised at his words, but they all knew why he said it. They all knew who he was addressing. Most were taken aback at how malignant he sounded in the moments that soon followed, his voice echoing off the walls.

"So, it is to be war between us, is it? Well, this time, _clever friend_, the disaster will be yours…"

* * *

Oh my goodness! I finally got to write my FAVORITE Phantom quote in here! YAY! My favorite quote was the "Twisted in every way, what answer can I give...etc." line. Although that was my favorite quote of all time (in Phantom universe), I have other favs too. If you are actually interested in knowing the other favorites then just go to my profile. They'll be there...somewhere.  
Sorry I took so long!


	16. Rehearsal

Hi!

What? Did I actually post another chapter without making anyone wait forever with never-ending frustration? AMAZING. I'm actually surprised.

I know some of you who are definite die-hard fans of POTO would be utterly shocked to know that I hadn't read the book yet (the one by Gaston Leroux that I got for my birthday), but I would like all to know that I have at least started reading it. I'm about half way through and I just love it! It's extremely well written, and a bit hard to follow, but still really really good. I give it a 10 out of 10…yes, I like it that much.

And since this is the original book, with the original story, all the characters from the musical and movies start and blossom from those in this book. And the best part is…the original Christine is actually BLONDE! For all who know Christine as a brown eyed brunette, think again! Since she's Swedish (which they point out very often) it's pretty normal actually for her to have blonde hair and blue eyes. I, being a blonde blue eyed girl myself, think that this is the single greatest realization EVER!

And…I REALLY hate to say this Raul haters, but since I am a Raul/Christine phan, I think I like this story more because of that. You see, the story is in 3rd person, but basically shows all of Raul's perspectives and how much he is head over heels in love with Christine, who is actually very cryptic about revealing what's going on between the Phantom and her. In the book it really makes you see the side of how Raul should get Christine. He just loves her so much; it's almost tear-jerking. Raul himself is a very sensitive person and has cried over Christine more than once. She even goes as far as pushing Raul away from her and forbidding him to see her again so that the Phantom wouldn't hurt him. And this Phantom doesn't have a mask (FOR SHAME! HE SO NEEDS THE MASK!). Well, he actually does, it's just that he only wears the mask in front of Christine, but the mask itself is black and covers almost all of his face.

Oh, yes, and might I add that Meg, in my opinion, is basically described as a Goth, except from the 1800's. She's a bit of an outcast, has black hair, black eyes, and always tells the other ballerinas how stupid they all are. I think it's quite funny, seeing as the musical version of Meg is SO much different than that. And the fact that Bouquet was killed in the first chapter was actually quite a shocker.

Anyways, you can tell I'm enjoying myself. But you can totally tell that the musical was based solely off that book alone. I mean, just look at this quote:

"Little Lotte thought of everything and nothing…she wheedled her mother, was kind to her doll, took great care of her frock and her little red shoes and her fiddle, but most of all loved, when she went to sleep, to hear the Angel of Music."

I mean, COME ON! Some of the quotes in the musical are actually word-for-word from the book.

Alright, alright, I am now finished raving about how much I love the book. I am sure most of you are relieved. And since I am finished talking too much, I can answer reviews…finally.

_**Smart One-** oh, I know, almost everyone was confused with the lyrics in my story in one point or another, I'm just glad you like it now! I feel so flattered that you think I write it well… blushes…_

_**Strodgfrgf-** thank you! And you never saw the whole thing of Phantom! Oh, my! Well, you certainly should, I must say, or else I believe you are missing out on a whole lot! You can sing really high, too? I love to sing high, I actually annoy my friends by singing every song an octave higher than everyone else. That's why I love Phantom, because I can (and will, on demand) sing every note in the musical. It's so fun! Go Sopranos!_

_**GS Dragono-** I can't wait to see how the final chapters go too, I can say that I simply CAN'T WAIT to write them! The last chappies are always the best ones with the most tension!_

_**StarGazingMoonPrincess-** oh, it's okay that you didn't review the last chapter! As long as you review at all it's fine with me. Thanks, too, by the way!_

_**Jaina12-** I'm gonna be SO sad when this thing is over! Man, I didn't even think about that! Well, just so you know, the end is pretty far down the road, I have to say. With the speed at which I write these, and all the songs I have yet to write, I would estimate another six or seven chapters would be posted before this story's over. And the Raven and BB thing…yes, I love them too. I just love describing how two people act when they like each other but just won't say anything! It happens a lot in my life, trust me…_

_**Rose- **first off, I have to say how I just LOVE looking forward to your long reviews! They're just so fun to read! The Raven/BB thing, yeah…I'm gonna officially say that it's not friendship. It's MORE than that! YAY! The fact that I made you think the Raul character played a good role is shocking to me. I'm really happy you liked it and were impressed. And, might I add that most people AWAYS forget the lines and tunes of "Notes II" and "Twisted in Every Way". Those two songs just aren't as clearly sung, seeing as a lot of the characters sing all at the same time. I just spread the lyrics out so that they can be fathomed and understood without being jammed together in one line and expecting everyone to understand what the heck is going on. _

_**Wylkin-** I feel so special! And you are so nice in your reviews, every time I read one of yours I always walk away smiling. Thank you so much for your positive reinforcement!_

Also, Alan (aka:Aqualad) and Henry (Hotspot) appear in this chapter. So just in case some of you see the name Alan or Henry and you totally forget who the heck they are, well now you know. I have had reviewers see names and have to go all the way back to the first chapter just to check and see who a certain person is. I hope I helped.

I think my author notes get longer with every chapter…geez…

* * *

It was a chilly, frost-bitten Wednesday morning in the first week of February. It had taken all of January for Gar and Victor to plan and cast the play and, most importantly, to do it right. They were extremely wary at even picking out the chorus, fearing another unexplained "disaster". None occurred, so the Thespians considered their precise precision of plans worth while to say the least. They finally thought it ready to announce to the school that a different performance was to take place than the one planned before the Opera Ghost intervened.

The majority of the student body, and some of the teachers, were surprised and appalled at the sudden cancellation of the former spring musical. When Gar Logan and Victor Stone announced that an entirely different play was to be performed, some students went as far as retaliation. The teachers were confused, but cared not nonetheless, and let the situation pass without suspicion. They had no power nor whim over what musical was to be sung, as long as there was one.

"Don Juan Triumphant" had indeed taken a long while for the cast to comprehend musically. But as far down the road as they were, most of the cast could barely understand the plot itself, the play being so cryptically written. Almost each line held a double meaning, and most just went along with it and sang their lines, not having a clue as to what the words meant. The few who could understand what the actual plot was about were either offended at its crudeness or in awe at the genius at which it had been written and composed.

Again, as stated, it was Wednesday. Kori's least favorite day of the week, to be exact. She always seemed to have bad days and horrible luck on Wednesdays, and was really in no mood for rehearsal.

She was, however, the lead of this play, so she had to show up for every gosh darn practice that existed. She, being a person who was in no favor of the spotlight, found having all the attention on her to be overly pressuring and moreover irritating.

She felt extremely uncomfortable with her character who she was to play. The character who Kori was portraying, Aminta, seemed to her a bit of a 'loose' person. "Easy" would be a more accurate word that the boys would use.

She knew that the specter had placed her in this role on purpose, and for reasons she didn't want to know. And when she thought of why it depressed and angered her. She would block the ideas out of her mind and refuse to let them enter her brain, lest she let herself fully understand the ghost's calculation.

She sighed, with a waging war of sadness and frustration beginning insider her. She heard her name call to her and she spun around,

"Kori!"

She turned her head, hoping to see a friend, only to see Steven beckoning her to him to practice lines. Steven was, after all, the male lead, meaning she would obviously be paired with him. She clutched her manuscript and trudged over to her sister's current boyfriend. She began to repress her crabbiness and soothed herself with the thought that she would at least get to sing her frustration away.

Over the many previous rehearsals, and after what seemed to be an eternity of practicing lines with Steven, Kori and he had become somewhat friends. To be certain, they were nowhere near buddy-buddy to say the least, but they at least held a mutual respect for the other. Mostly the two would ask for advice on the other's performance. Usually Steven would ask for Kori's input to see if she thought his line could have been said better; or Kori would make sure with Steven that she hit the right note. Those were the usual compensations that the two exchanged, seeing as they had nothing at all in common otherwise.

They hadn't gotten very close, but they had to have some like for the other to not let the entire play go to ruin. At first Steven thought her annoying, and Kori thought him pompous and proud. But soon their hostility turned into tolerance and the two soon had no problems getting along cordially. They now had no particular like for the other, but still cared about each other's thoughts and concerns. In this way did the two leading roles come to understand each other's views without complaint or disagreement.

After Steven had called her over, they practiced the scene ahead that they were to do that day. She broke him off after a few minutes, assuring him he was doing fine, and requested that they took a break.

"What for?" the carrot-haired boy quirked an eyebrow. "We have all this extra time, we should use it wisely."

"Wisely," Kori sighed, "Or to our advantage?"

Steven folded his arms.

"_Our_ advantage? Just because _you_ already memorized most of your lines doesn't mean you can just bail…"

"I merely want to watch the scene they are practicing," she motioned to the stage, "and observe how everyone else is contributing. I am not partaking of the 'bailing' of which you speak."

"Whatever," the tall boy answered, "I might as well take a break too, seeing as I'm the only one left who actually wanted to get this done."

"The time will come," the green-eyed girl turned her vision to rest on his, "when you will know all of your lines and nothing will go wrong."

"Pffft…yeah, right…" the senior sneered.

"I bet you a million bucks this thing is gonna go wrong somehow," Steven said, looking around the set.

"What makes you say such things?" Kori asked, becoming distressed. She had that sickening feeling for a long while now, but she dared not say a word of it, for she knew far more than any of them did.

"Well," Steven began, starting to number his fingers,

"First of all, some psychopath who threatens to kill more people that he has already wrote it."

He paused, looking for a reaction from the girl; he knew all too well how close she had been entwined in the Phantom's plans.

"Secondly, most of us don't even get what in God's name is going on in the storyline."

Kori shifted her eyes; it was true.

"And I must admit that I understand the plot very well, including all the double meanings he's thrown in," he added, "and I think that whoever wrote this is a very sick man. I feel pretty sorry for you, considering you are the reason he wrote it."

Kori felt like a blow had struck her in the stomach. She knew it was true, but no one had ever said it out loud to her before, and so bluntly. She immediately felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave.

"Alright, alright, I understand," Kori spat uncontrollably.

Steven saw the look on her face and knew immediately that he had hit a nerve. He felt a feeling of remorse, but also one of self-praise. He did not like to make anyone feel bad, but when he did, he still got that prideful feeling that meant he had conquered them in a battle of wits, whether it had ended in fists or tears. She had defeated him numerous times in wit wars such as these, but this time, he won.

The prideful feeling did not leave him as the younger girl continued.

"Maybe there _is _something strange about all of this…"

Steven gave her a look of one who was scoffing at a stupid person.

"You, of all people, should have figured that one out…"

The crestfallen expression that entered her eyes caused immediate resentment from Steven. He immediately felt ashamed at what he had said, realizing how hard all of this must be for her. It had been awhile since she had shown how difficult it was to fulfill all that was needed of her.

She fell silent, and said nothing more. She didn't look at him, small tears beginning to form. Steven noticed all of this and felt even worse, starting to stutter. He was never good at apologies.

"Wait," he spat quickly, just as she was running off in a fit of tears, "I'm…uh, sorry. I didn't mean that…"

She stopped in mid-run, swishing her long hair with the snap of her neck in a total about face. Making eye contact with him, she cringed at his sudden attention of her feelings, afraid he would make another hurtful comment. He approached her awkwardly, only to make her back away at tiny smidges.

"Look," he sputtered uneasily, trying to console her "I know this is probably…hard…"

He had trouble keeping still, trying his best not to upset her.

"…for you…"

Kori stopped her total fixation of her gaze on the floor and looked up to face him. She held no happiness, but he had her attention.

"And…" he continued, still fidgeting, "it…isn't my place to…well…"

"Please continue." Kori said warily but a bit coldly, "I am listening."

"What I said was…out of line."

"Agreed."

"And…like I said…um…sorry." Steven said with a giant exhale.

"Apology taken and accepted." Kori smiled widely. Steven was a bit surprised that she had recovered so quickly. Apparently just a small amount of happy news could turn her frown _completely_ upside-down. He inwardly smiled, lifting a heavy weight off his conscience.

"May we_ now_," she replied earnestly, a little more normal, "Partake of the viewing of the rehearsal?"

Steven rolled his eyes slightly. She was so childlike.

"…Yeah, why not."

Feeling no use of doing anything else, the senior followed the girl to where she stood gazing at the stage. She stopped near the orchestra pit, as to be closest to the instruments. Yes, she now loved music that much.

Kori and Steven watched the rehearsal go by pretty smoothly for about fifteen minutes before a slim black-haired boy approached them in a whirl of black and blue. Alan ran up to the two, grabbed their arms, and yanked both of them backstage with the speed of lightning. Kori stuttered, out of breath and confused.

"Alan! What are you…"

"Come on," he pulled them to the side stage, "you're both going on in like, 3 seconds."

"Huh?" Steven asked, bug-eyed.

"That scene's over, smart one, we're skipping to the beginning of scene two."

"Scene two?" Steven blurted out, "We haven't practiced that one yet!"

He paused awkwardly, looked at Kori, then turned back to Alan and said in a small voice,

"Well…I…haven't practiced that one yet…"

Alan smirked and turned to Kori.

"And, let me guess…this one did," he said, still smiling, pointing to Kori. She had an infamous goody-goody reputation of always getting things done when it needed be.

"Uum….yes?" Kori said with a weak smile that was showing how obvious her soon to come laughter was.

"Oh, well," Alan said with a quick push of the two redheads onto the stage, "you've already been over this part, Steven, so I'm sure you'll remember at least _some_ of it."

"But…but…dude…" Steven didn't get to finish before being shoved into a prop.

"Ow!"

"Oops…" Alan said with an evil grin. Steven in turn glared daggers at the boy before Henry began to bark at him.

"I don't know my line yet! Give me a break here!" Steven almost yelled.

Henry just stared for a few seconds and then yelled out to the boy,

"Steven! Don't move!" the boy stood as still as a statue.

"What?" he said with a nervous tone. Henry just rubbed his forehead.

"It's not your line yet…" Steven stared blankly.

"Oh."

Kori scooted beside him and inaudibly whispered to him,

"Just stay where you are, and take your cue from me. My line is right before yours."

"But…"

"You've done this line before, just silence yourself until then. Henry's already in a mood of badness. Again."

Steven did as he was told, and the two stayed on stage as they diverted their attention back to the chorus, also on stage. Kiona was singing in the chorus with the rest, who was not very pleased to be doing so. So she resolved this problem by singing louder than everyone else, which most people ended up ignoring. Over time her voice blended in with the rest. Just before Kiona could wave to her boyfriend, the chorus began to sing their song:

"_Hide your sword now, wounded knight!  
__Your vainglorious gasconade  
__Brought you to your final flight…  
__For your pride, high price you've paid!"_

Kori took her cue and sang her line.

"_Silken couch and hay-filled barn,  
__Both have been his battlefield."_

She gave Steven an expecting look and the boy immediately remembered the very short that he was to say.

"_Thos who tangle with Don Juan…"_

Henry interrupted him with vibrant waves of his hands.

"No, no no! Chorus, just wait a sec."

Henry then seemed to capture his cool and calmed down a bit.

"Don Juan…that's you, Steven," he said, pointing to him.

"Yeah?"

"Okay," Henry began, surprisingly normal. It was as if he knew and expected him to mess up on this part.

"—here is the phrase, Steven:  
_Those who **tangle** with Don Juan…"_

"What's the difference?" Steven asked inquisitively.

"Use emphasis on the 'tangle'."

"Oh. Okay, lemme try…  
_Those who tangle with Don Juan…"_

He just repeated what he had done before. He hadn't even improved. Alan had to suppress a snicker. Henry reproached him again.

"No, no—nearly, but no:  
_Those who **tan**, **tan**, **tan**…"_

"Okay, let me try again:  
_Those who tangle with Don Juan…"_

Again getting the line wrong, some of the more immature cast members snickered quietly. Kiona only smiled, as if thinking that her boyfriend messing up was cute.

"His way is better." She said practically. She then added venomously, "At least he makes it sound like music!"

Raven, who had been there also, obliged to teach the dancers, eyed the girl viciously. She stepped up from where she stood at stage left and rung out her warningly low voice into Kiona's ears.

"Kiona, do you find it wise to speak that way in the presence of the composer?"

Kiona, practically deaf to the Goth's implications of this remark, merely shot back at the deadpanned ballet instructor.

"The composer isn't here!" she yelled maliciously, "And if he even _were_ here, I would say to him…"

Before she could finish, Raven cut in again, much to everyone's relief.

"Are you certain of that, Kiona…?"

Kiona herself was beginning to stomp across the stage to approach Raven, who hadn't moved a muscle, keeping her same flat face. Henry quickly intervened before Kiona did something she would definitely regret.

"SO…once again, Steven. After seven…  
Five, six, seven…"

"_Those who tangle with Don Juan…"_

Many of the cast and crew were now sighing, rolling eyes, or throwing their hands into the air. Everyone else just started to talk freely. Some others just started to practice the phrase themselves simultaneously.

"Ugh!" Kiona screeched, "This is ridiculous! What does it matter what notes we sing?"

"Have patience, Kiona…" Raven said, keeping her monotone, but still adding her own mocking tune to it.

Kiona then stumped over to the piano, slammed onto the keys, slapped her fingers across several, and complained further more.

"No one will know if it's right or if it's wrong! No one will _care_ if it's right or if it's wrong!"

Most of the cast just began to ignore her. Steven was still trying to get the phrase right.

"_Those who tan, tan, tan…"_

He turned to Kori, "Did I get it right that time?"

"Not quite, Steven:  
"_Those who** tan**, **tan**, **tan**…"_

Henry began to try to get order back into the rehearsal, for almost everyone had begun to get distracted by their own means. He left the piano and went to the stage, trying to get their attention with signals.

"Ladies…Steven…Kori…_please_!"

Kiona, not one word sinking into her very little brain, finally got fed up and mockingly belted out the infamous phrase.

"_Those who **tangle **with DON JUAN!"_

In that instant the piano keys thumped without aid. By some unknown force the piano began to play the song. It demonstrated the music for the song with increasing force and exact rhythm. At first this startled everyone, but soon that changed.

Every student in the room immediately fell silent and froze, some for different reasons than others. All of a sudden, the chorus began to sing the piece with extreme accuracy. They sang it with increasing loudness as Kori slipped off the stage fearfully. But, what Kori noticed, was that the way they were singing seemed too perfect. It seemed…robotic.

"_Poor young maiden!  
__For the thrill on your tongue  
__Of stolen sweets  
__You will have to pay the bill,  
__Tangled in the winding sheets…"_

She slid behind the scenes and slipped in between a banister and a backdrop, looking about her expectantly. She knew he was here. There was no other way the piano could have played on it's own. And it was playing _his _music. She gazed up into the drafts of the upper stage, seeing no one. But she knew better than that. She felt his presence, and she knew he could see her. He always could. She began to shake slightly and her lip quivered as she spoke out warily into the awaiting darkness.

"_In sleep he sang to me,  
__In dreams he came.  
__That voice which calls to me,  
__And speaks my name…"_

She heard the orchestra crescendo as she felt her fear increase. As the playing instruments reached a high forte, her fright became unbearable and she ran out of the deserted area and back into plain sight of her classmates. She continued the rest of the rehearsal with no complaints whatsoever and tried her very hardest to perform the best she could, for she knew the consequences if she didn't.

* * *

Finally. I was hoping I would be able to update earlier than usual. YAY! 


	17. Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

Hi!

I FINISHED IT! I'm done reading the book (more like I finished it a long time ago, like three weeks ago, but whatever…). I feel a sense of accomplishment, here. And, to all who have read it and understand what I mean, I must point out that the Torture Chamber is CREEPY! Goodness Gracious, at first I didn't understand the situation of how it would turn into a desert scene, but when I found out that the torture would end with the person hanging themselves in their own misery, I got creeped out. It would make anyone shiver!

The number one scariest thing about it (in my opinion) was when Erik was in Raoul's room and Raoul could see Erik's yellow eyes glowing at the foot of his bed. And when Raoul would turn his lamp on, the eyes would disappear, then reappear as the lamp was put out! That scared the CRAP out of me! I refused to look at the foot of my bed at night for a whole week!

Oh well, all is read and done, so I can continue.

_**Strodgfrgf-** I hear it doesn't take much to find the book; I've seen it before at just random and popular book stores. Just a normal book place should be where to look. If you want the book I read, then get the one by Gaston Leroux. There is also one written by Susan Kay (I think she wrote it in the 1990's but Leroux was the first, since he wrote his in 1911). I haven't read the Susan Kay novel, though._

_**StarGazingMoonPrincess- **heeheehee…I feel special now…_

_**Smart One- **it's alright, I answer everyone's reviews…thank you so much for liking my story so much! You like my name? THANK YOU! I don't know why that makes me so giddy…you're not allowed to be a member of this site! NOT FAIR FOR YOU! You must persuade whoever is holding you back to let you! It is a wonderful experience, and is a constant way to improve writing skills (it has helped ME improve, at least). I like your idea…this Jamie person sounds a little like me (except for the mutating, I would be too chicken to do that…). And don't worry, the longer the review, the better!_

_**Wylkin- **squee! That's such a fun word! Sometimes even I forget that Red X is the Phantom, that's why I try to remind myself and my readers through little descriptions of his hawt X'ed self! And, don't worry, I don't expect most people to recognize the previous chapter, although part of it was in the musical (the "tangle" part, to be exact). Thanks again!_

_**Jackalobe- **Jackalobe, Rose, whatever, I always remember you as the same person. Oh, yes, I know exactly which tune you are thinking of, and yes, it is horribly catchy and very hard to remove from your head! And, do you know what the words mean? I wouldn't go as far as saying they were perverted, but they do have sexual meaning. A lot. I would say, YES, it is VERY bold indeed. Well, Speedy is supposed to be a loser, isn't he? I mean, he's PIANGI for Pete's sake! Piangi is quite a bit of a loser, so I guess that could explain why I made him act that way. Although, Speedy does fit the description pretty well, don't you think?_

_**Laurashrub- **yes! Tense is good! Glad you still like it!_

Well, this Author's Note was a bit shorter than usual…

* * *

Kori thrust her once sleeping head forward from her pillow, with her long red hair swaying behind her from the sudden swoop. Her eyes watered subconsciously at her current dream she was relieved to escape. She rolled her eyes to her strangely adorned alarm clock: 3:12 a.m. was what the blindingly red numbers shined at her in the darkened room.

She brought her head back down to her pillow sadly, her glassy eyes refusing to let the tears fall. She had yet another dream about him. Throughout all this time of her hypnotism and confusion with the Phantom, she had thought she had finally removed her head from the wonderful but horribly depressing memories of her father. She thought wrong.

It was between random phases of months to weeks at a time ever since his death that she would dream of her father. After each phase, there would hardly be another for about another year or two, depending on how happy her current situation stood. The times would sometimes lead to the girl becoming vulnerable to any and every emotion that ever occurred in her mind, for these times were terribly sensitive for her. She tried her hardest to repress her memories, knowing they only caused pain.

Kori brought her drowsy eyes to the alarm clock: 3:28. Why did time have to fly its fastest when she was trying to sleep? She would never consider herself an insomniac, but current events would accuse her of such. It took her two to three hours each night to get to sleep nowadays, following with repeated wake-ups around the same parts of the night, like the three-o-clock hour for example. Kori swished her purple covers over her head and slowly trailed off to sleep with her own saddening thoughts swirling through her mercilessly.

When the loud blaring of her alarm clock sounded three hours later as her permanent wake-up call, she stared at the opposing wall for a minute or so. Her father then reluctantly burst into her mind without warning, causing her to groan with despair. She held her head in her hands and her musing came to a final decision: she needed to visit her father's grave. In between her phases of depression she would go to his tombstone to place hand-picked flowers. This would normally calm her distressed soul and would sometimes even free her of her momentary sadness.

It was decided. She was going to visit him. Saying it to herself was even comforting, knowing that in the end it would bring her peace.

* * *

She went to school the same day a bit lighter, almost looking forward to her visit to the graveyard. Raven, who sat next to her in her pre Calculus class, noticed the change in the redhead. After a half hour of silence from Kori, who usually chatted nonstop to Raven throughout the course, Raven finally slammed her pre Cal book shut, turning to the normally bubbly sophomore.

"Alright, what is it?" She said it with no annoyance in her voice whatsoever, but still contained her usual demanding tone.

Kori snapped her head up from where it had been drooping slightly.

"What? Oh," She said grimly, "It is nothing, friend Raven…"

Before she could invent a false excuse, Raven cut her off shortly.

"Kori, you haven't said two words today, and you didn't even do that irritating giggle of yours when Gar slipped on his own pencil."

"…but you did…" Kori mumbled sheepishly.

Raven's eyes turned into deadly slits as they narrowed with a forced anger trying helplessly to hide her embarrassment.

"I had something in my throat" she said coldly, but with pinkened cheeks, "and I had to choke."

"I apologize, Raven. We are not to be talking in class. We might get into trouble."

"No we won't," Raven said casually, "she's letting us work freely, meaning we can talk all we want."

Raven took note that Kori had lost her enthusiasm in which she usually said her words when speaking. Raven's eyes calmed and held the concern it carried when she originally started their conversation.

"Listen, Kori," She said calmly, "What's bothering you? Whatever it is, it's pretty obvious."

"I have been…thinking about my father." Kori said reluctantly.

"Thinking or preventing from thinking?"

"Both are similar to my musings, yes."

"Well," Raven implied, a little more interested, "Have you let yourself cry?"

"What?" Kori looked at her confusedly.

"Do you stop yourself before you're about to cry, or do you just let it out?" Raven returned.

"I…am not sure. I do not know if it is of great importance, friend Raven."

"It's very important," Raven said sternly, "It's not healthy to keep your emotions bottled up inside you like that."

"But…" Kori looked thoroughly confused now, "what about you? I have never seen you show such emotion that you claim it is unhealthy to conceal."

"I am only careful with my feelings. I do not smother them with repression or denial."

Kori only cocked her head.

"But what about your crush on Ga…" before Kori could finish, a pale hand had slapped over her mouth with intense speed and irritation. The immediate contact with Raven's hand so violently hit on her face caused Kori to yelp in surprise.

"Not a word…got me?"

Raven only cautiously removed her blockade from Kori's use of words before she was able to speak again.

"Yes. Of course. But I only suspected, I never _knew_…"

"That's not what I'm trying to tell you." Raven said irritably. She continued on momentarily after a comfortable pause between the two.

"The point is that you need to accept whatever is making you sad, in this case, your father, and try your hardest to cope with it." Raven's voice lowered a tad, so that Kori had to lean her ear in a bit.

"I am sorry though, about your father," She said reluctantly, "No one should be deprived of a parent." After another comfortable pause she said, a little sadder, "At least you loved your father."

"And you don't? Friend Raven, at least your father is still living! Why on Earth would you not love and treasure him beyond all measure?"

Raven's eyes then became utterly fascinated with the tiles on the floor and said in a quiet tone,

"I have my reasons."

Kori did not press the subject, nor did she want to, she knew she was trodding on unfriendly territory. She changed the subject slightly, speaking with a bit more confidence than as of late.

"I am going to see his grave tonight." She said with a weak smile.

"That should help," Raven replied, "many claim that it is easing."

"I believe it will be." Kori responded calmly. She shook a breath from her mouth that had been holding itself in for awhile. She waited patiently for the bell to sound before leaving the classroom with musing thoughts.

After school Richard ran as fast as he could in attempt to catch Raven. When he finally caught her arm, he breathlessly made his request.

"Raven…can you tell me…what's been up with Kori?"

Raven narrowed her eyes a bit, pondering what to tell him.

"She's a bit depressed about her father."

"What? Her father?" Richard squished his face confusedly, "She's never even mentioned him to me before."

"She doesn't like to talk about it." Raven replied, "You know he died when she was little, right?"

"Well, I never really knew anything about her family life," Richard said with a pause, "Is that why she's been so droopy?"

"I would assume," said the Goth dryly.

"Do you know where she'll be?"

"She said something about visiting his grave late tonight." Raven looked at his immediate reaction, "and it would be best if you left her alone right now."

"But, do you even know what time she would be going?"

"It's not like it's any of your concern, but Kori did say something about always visiting her father's tombstone at midnight. It seemed to give her more privacy to know that most would be asleep at that hour."

"Thanks, Raven…" Richard said with a quick wave, and before the girl could protest against any actions she knew he would take, the boy was gone in a flash.

* * *

Hours later, Richard glanced at his clock. 11:30. She would be leaving soon. He wanted to follow her there, not to be overly protective, but to watch her in her times of sadness as to get a glimpse of how she really felt. Because quite frankly, she hadn't spoken to him in a week. She had been too occupied to regard anyone's presence other than her own at the time, and Richard sought a time where he could be with her, but without her feeling distant or uncomfortable.

He leapt down his stairs and out of his house, casually unhooking a coat from its hinge on his way out; he had a knack for those types of things. He slid out onto the slippery frozen sidewalk as the two-foot-deep snow sunk into his ankles. He skidded onto his motorcycle and drove off into the direction of the cemetery, where he knew his girlfriend would linger.

* * *

It was ten till midnight as Kori approached the graveyard of St. Mary from the dark sidewalk. She tugged her long black coat snugly around her frail figure as she looked up into the snow-speckled air. A little drizzle had started to fall minutes earlier. An unnaturally bright full moon being her only source of light, the girl walked through the creaky gates of iron and gazed about her surroundings.

Richard dismounted his motorcycle without a sound. He ran with an unknown agility and a steadfast silence as to make sure she didn't notice him. He hid in the bushes of the iron gated walls that surrounded the grounds. After peering through what seemed like pitch darkness, minus the moonlight, he finally saw the small form of Kori Anders passing through the gates without notifying his presence.

A light powder of March snow fluffed upon every erected cross, tombstone, and monument that was gracefully held in the ancient cemetery. Even the fresh flowers that adorned them all had recently been dampened with the white powder. The snow sprinkled lightly around and above the barren trees that expanded across the vast ground. Kori could feel the cold wretchedly clutch at her face as the wind flew bitterly, as if flowing straight through her layers upon layers of clothes. In the middle of the entire place stood St. Mary's, a little church that was often occupied by the mourning visitors. It was the oldest church around, and many civilians treasured the place with care. All in all, Kori found the place eerily but undoubtedly beautiful. She softly spoke into the dark night air, hoping her beloved deceased would hear her.

"_Little Lotte thought of everything and nothing…  
__Her father promised her  
__That he would send her the Angel of Music.  
__Her father promised her…  
__Her father promised her…"_

She bit her lip at the sight of the many frozen angels that had their stony eyes fixed upon her. She lowered her eyes and walked slowly onto the cold ground.

"_You were once my one companion,  
__You were all that mattered.  
__You were once a friend and father,  
__Then my world was shattered."_

She then raised her eyes up to the full moon that shined oh so brightly onto her paling face, on which was shown eminent sadness. The eerie moonlight reflected a sort of glow around everything present, making the scene seem almost surreal.

"_Wishing you were somehow here again,  
__Wishing you were somehow near…  
__Sometimes it seemed  
__If I just dreamed,  
__Somehow you would be here…"_

Kori stepped lightly on the snowy trail that led through the graveyard; again leaving no footsteps remaining after where she last stepped. The sight of death all around her seemed to take away the feeling of the chilly wind.

"_Wishing I could hear your voice again,  
__Knowing that I never would…  
__Dreaming of you  
__Won't help me to do  
__All that you dreamed I could…"_

She kept moving, her heart becoming heavier with each slow step. She blinked away a slushing snowflake that had melted onto her eyelash. She turned to her left on the winding trail of graves, her coat swishing behind her.

"_Passing bells and sculpted angels,  
__Cold and monumental  
__Seem for you the wrong companions.  
__You were warm and gentle."_

She made a swift right at an engraved cross and continued on in that direction. Her footsteps slowed as she finally reached her destination. A tall rectangular tombstone, about half her height, stood creepily out of line where none others stood. She stopped silently and stood sadly, knees shaking from frostbite.

"_Too many years  
__Fighting back tears,  
__Why can't the past just die?"_

She immediately yelled out loudly into the night with a woeful cry.

"_Wishing you were somehow here again…"_

She let several tears roll down her frozen cheeks as she sunk to the ground, kneeling in front of the grave. She hung her head downward, with a short sob escaping her. Opposite from her previous outburst, she brought her voice down to a soft whisper as she kept her eyes steadfastly held on the ground.

"_Knowing we must say goodbye…"_

She brought her crying face upward towards the clear starry sky and cried further, letting all of her tears rush free from its concealing prison of repression. He was gone. He was always gone. He was never coming back, and she knew it. He would never be near her again to comfort her with her sorrows. He would never again be there with her to tell her stories, kiss her forehead, tuck her in at night…Never again would he be at her side. He was her father, and he was gone. She sobbed without moving her gaze from the sky and cried.

"_Try to forgive,  
__Teach me to live,  
__Give me the strength to try…"_

By now her cries were becoming unruly and uncontrolled, as she bent her back forward, clutching her stomach with her small arms, forcing her tears out of her eyes. The tears poured by countlessly, as if there were always more behind, waiting to fall. She slammed her fist into the snowy ground with anger and grief.

"_No more memories,  
__No more silent tears…"_

She shook her head violently as she hit the ground again with her fist, letting out every sad feeling of loss and horrifying sadness that had stayed and remained inside her for over eight years. Her sobs still contained an unruly frenzy that would prove that this child had suffered more than one death in her life.

"_No more gazing across  
__The wasted years…"_

She suddenly quieted, her crying becoming softer, but showing no sign of stopping. She sniffed in the chilled air and gasped for breath as she wept silently. She straightened her back, but kept her head bent low. She folded her hands in prayer and kept them placed in her lap as her shoulders shook with each sob. Her vibrant hair whipped all around her as she raised her head yet again to the clear night sky, her eyes holding plea and want.

"_Help me say goodbye…"_

And she said no more, for she then lowered her face and closed her eyes, letting her head fall once more. She began to cry again, and covered her face, now wet with tears, into her cold nimble hands. She took no heed that the temperature continued to grow colder as she sat, the wind whipping all around her. She did not care about the cold anymore. She was too consumed in her own weeping to know of any other thought besides her father.

And there she sat, a young teenage girl crying in the bitter snow without a care of who saw her now. She wept in peace, and she let it all fall down without remorse. The beautiful voice of Kori Anders that once echoed off the cold stone surrounding was now replaced with the pitied cries of a lost child.

* * *

Oh, yes, I have a poll this time! Yay for me! And you all better answer them too!

1. What is your favorite genre?

2. What is your favorite color?

3. What is your ultimate favorite Rob/Star fic? (I want to read it, obviously…)

4. What is your outlook on school?

5. What is your favorite pairing?

6. Do you think Gerard Butler is hot?

7. Do you think that they made a good movie of Phantom of the Opera?

8. Of POTO, which do you prefer: The movie, musical, or the book (if you've read it)?

9. What is your favorite hobby?

10. What is your favorite food?

11. Honestly, (and really be honest) WHY do you like this fic?

12. Do you have a pet?

13. What is your favorite Phantom quote (SO stupid, I know, but I have to know…)?

14. Do you smoke?

15. What music do you adore?

Oops, that was a little long. Oh well, at least it makes a review pretty darn interesting…

Also, I'm pleased to announce that I am going to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in two days! YAY! I'm gonna be in a cabin on a lake in the middle of the wilderness, honestly miles from civilization! But seriously, it's fun. The name of the lake is Lake Tamarack, which, don't you think, sounds a whole lot like Starfire's home planet? (Tamaran—Tamarack: it sounds similar, OKAY?). Anyways, wish me luck! See you all soon! (not literally, but you know what I mean…).


	18. Wandering Child

WEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Wow, I have absolutely NO CLUE how I am so happy right now. Maybe because I'm nervous out of my MIND right now! Okay, I have to sing my solo in my concert tomorrow, and I really don't want to do it! My song is a totally stupid song called "Who'll Buy My Lavender?". It's basically all about some dude who wants to sell flowers! I want something interesting here! Oh well, at least tomorrow it will be all over, and I will never have to sing that ANNOYING song _ever _again.

Okay, once again, this is going to be a LONG author's note, so get comfortable.

Wow, once again its taken me forever to update. I now take full responsibility to blame SCHOOL for that one. Yes, I'm sure almost all of you have started school by now (and if not than NO FAIR to you!). I've been a bit caught up lately, so don't be mad.

I got back from my vacation in Michigan quite a bit ago, and it was really fun. Also, I want to add that when I went to Lake Tamarack (remember how I said that the name sounds like Tamaran, but off by one letter? Yeah, that one.) I saw yet ANOTHER Teen Titans reference. One of the families that stayed on the lake, their last name was Malchiori! It sounds (and is spelled) just like Malchior, but with an "i"added at the end! I found that really weird, to be honest.  
Also while in my little cabin in the wilderness, I partook in the unknown art of chocolate chip cookie stealth. And yes, it is an art, for the cookies were heavily guarded (get three cookie-crazed siblings under the age of seven…and you will definitely know what I mean). But now I'm home again, and I'm very glad to be, because now I can update! Yay!

Oh yes, and before I forget, one of my reviewers said that I should answer my own poll. So that I will certainly do.

But before I do, I would like to point out to all the people who don't know who Gerard Butler is. You all have said you have seen POTO the movie, and yet you don't know the name of the actor who plays the Phantom! It's Gerard Butler, DUH! Also, I'd like to say that I found it quite funny that all of you answered that you didn't smoke and that you hated the concept. Okay, I will answer my poll now:

1. For their favorite genre, some people thought I meant movies, and some thought I meant fanfiction. I actually meant both, but my views on each are different. In movies I will have to say just about anything except horror. I absolutely love the suspense part, but gore makes me sick, literally. I also am extremely skittish and am frightened very easily. I once saw a preview for a scary movie and I couldn't sleep for a couple of days! Yeah, it's that bad. So basically I'm too much of a scardy cat. But when I read fanfictions I can totally read horror, because the plot itself is really interesting, it's just seeing it that frightens me. For reading I like EVERY genre out there, so yay for me!

2. Pink….sorry for all who hate it, I really am. But, like I said, I would die before being labeled as a prep, so bear with me!

3. I honestly don't know if I have a favorite Rob/Star fic. If I had to say one, I would probably mention "Assassin's Bane" by Guardian of the Moon and "Sweet Ambrosia" by Houser. There are so many I love, though! Go to my favorites list if needed.

4. My outlook on school is probably a bit different from most. I have gone to a Catholic school for Kindergarten through eighth grade, and it was the worst nine years of my life. All of my few real friends moved away by the end of the fourth grade, and in a private school, well, mine at least, if you already weren't friends with certain people, you basically never will be. I hung around some people, but they never invited me to go anywhere with them to places. I was always kind of left out in a way and treated like I was strange or different, when in reality, I just wasn't prep material. By the end of eighth grade, I had a real friend, who was a boy which I am still good friends with today. But there was always something I wasn't filled in about in every occasion. Then I went to high school. A PUBLIC high school. Thank God. At my public school I immediately made real friends that, all of which are now inseparable with me. And as I continue to have different classes, I always find and make friends with whoever I sit by. I now realize that there was really nothing wrong with me, I just went to a crappy school with crappy kids who made me feel worthless for nine years, and that was all I had known. Now, since I continue to go to a public school, I absolutely love every single thing about it. No matter how weird and stupid some of the rules are, I love school anyway, because it is just another excuse for me to be with and make new friends.

5. My two favorite pairings are Robin/Starfire and BB/Raven!

6. HECK YES! Gerard Butler is the hottest thing EVER!

7. YES, and I don't care what the stupid critics said about the movie or how well the people who starred in it were! They were all awesome and it is my favorite movie of all time!

8. The musical. Hands down.

9. Drawing, painting, and singing are my favorite hobbies.

10. My favorite foods are pizza, salad, and ice cream.

11. I have no reason to like this fic because it is mine, so…

12. Yes, I have two cats, Missy and Jewel (but we just had to give Jewel away because she had mental problems…seriously, the vets said so. And I'm really sad she's gone…)

13. "Twisted in every way, what answer can I give, etc."

14. Not ever in my whole life will I ever smoke. I don't drink either. Call me goody-two-shoes if you want, but that's fine with me.

15. I love all music, from Broadway to rap, I love it all. The only kinds that annoy me though are country and jazz.

Oooooookay, that's done. It actually took longer than I planned. Sorry.

_**Smart One- **your school is almost rulless? NOT FAIR! That might make you have more fun. I have had very sad experiences with sea monkeys, the poor things were knocked right out of their little container. I didn't do it, though. I felt so bad for them…_

_**RavensAngst- **whoa, where do I begin? You are such an awesome reviewer, my goodness, woman! If only you knew how happy you make me with such uplifting words! The "tangle" thing with Speedy was definitely not in the movie, but it was in the musical. And yes, you finally get to be mentioned! It's alright for being late, really it is. You fell in LOVE? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaw. I'm so happy for you! Congratulations to the lucky man! The things you say about high school and college is just how I feel about Elementary school and high school, because of my situations (if you read about my outlook on school). For the first time, I have now realized at what such a ladies man Cyborg really is, and it's hilarious! And, oh yeah, I love Patrick Wilson too, right after Gerard. His voice is just so soothing! He's the PERFECT Raoul. I'm so outrageously happy that you like my story as much as you do! You are definitely the reviewer I look forward to reading from! _

_**Rose- **I know…I absolutely love that song. It's like you said, so sad, but so beautiful. You don't believe in love? Oh well, I'm sure you have good reasons. I have already read "Date for a Debt" awhile ago and I enjoyed it very immensely. CILLIAN MURPHEY! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I love that boy! He's super super sexy! He's the main reason I want to see that movie "Red Eye". Viggo Mortensen and Johnny Depp are also very very hot peoples! I LOVE Reeses. They are actually the only candy I really crave. And yes, I agree that dogs are okay, but cats definitely rule! _

_**Animegirl1047- **hello there! Glad you reviewed, or else I never would have known you liked my story! Hey, I have the two-disc soundtrack to the movie too! But I also have the two-disc soundtrack to the musical as well, and trust me, the two have their differences. Pink has been given a bad name, and lovers of pink are usually discriminated for it. It's actually not fair at all. I've heard of "Guiding Star" quite often, and I really think I should read it. One of my good friends really loves drawing anime to, so I know what you mean by that. I think Carlotta is hilarious, and almost any quote from her would be worthy. And, for the record, there are tons and tons of people who totally HATE Raoul. It normally is because they think the Phantom should get Christine, so they hate the one she chooses instead. It's quite funny actually to see how some true Raoul-haters act. I don't blame your sister, though, she has a good point. _

_**StakeMeSpike04- **YES, I did miss you! That's not fair that you got to go to Cape Cod. Not fair at all. You missed reading my fic! Yay I feel special! You were only on the computer once the whole month! OO- Oh, my goodness, I would have NEVER survived! I usually can't go a week without my precious computer (and yet I always have to because of all my stupid yet fun vacations…ironically all of them include no computer. I think my parents are trying to tell me something…). And yes, the book WAS uber confusing! I had to reread several pages at a time before I could continue because I would forget how everything was. It was really complicated. I have not read the Susan Kay novel, and I'm sure I should, considering you loved it so much! I must say, you being an Erik/Christine phan and my being a Raoul/Christine phan is pretty much the only thing that makes us different! How weird! _

_**Star+Robin- **sadly, I found no Starfire look-alikes on my trip, but I did find the Malchior thing. Of course you didn't think the Phantom was ugly at all because that was Gerard Butler! It's quite funny, actually, how many people think he's hot and have no idea what his name is. And yes, HBP is awesome beyond belief._

_**GS Dragono-** what's the sigh for? Is it a sigh of frustration? I was hoping no one hated polls, if that is true in your case I'm sorry. I kind of agree with you on the Raven thing; she's almost everyone's favorite character, so almost all the fanfictions are about her. This I find quite dull. I still like Raven, but the fact that everyone else likes her so much gets pretty old for me._

_**TTHPfan-** thank you! I love that song too…it's just so sad and beautiful! You're lucky that you don't have gym anymore…I have to take two more courses of it! STUPID P.E.! I actually semi-like History, as long as it's WORLD History and none of that American history stuff (it bores me). World History I took freshman year and I found it quite interesting, considering all those different cultures and stuff. Unfortunately, I have to take two more courses of U.S. History (GRRRRR). I also can rant on smoking, since my Health class made smoking PERFECTLY clear on why we shouldn't do it…ugh. _

_**Ninjamonkey-** I've heard much about Julesfire, but I don't think I've read any by that authour…I really should though. And oh my gosh, I wanted to see "Wicked" sooooo bad; actually my communicating teacher went and saw it and she said it was amazing. So all in all…I really need to see that musical. I'm glad at least some of the readers of this story are actually Broadway fans like myself. Well, hope you like the next chapter!_

_**SimplePlanLuver-** thank you! You've never watched Phantom? Wow. At least you relatively like my story, though I do hope you get to see it (musical or movie, they're both fantastic)._

_**EmeraldShine-** I don't know what it is but your reviews are just so…uplifting. Dang, I wish I could make people feel good like that in my reviews. Every time I read one of yours I just end up smiling ear to ear. And I'm also super glad that I've found someone else who likes Disney music! YAY! Not many people realize how well written and composed a lot of Disney movies and music is made. The quote "classics" (like the Lion King…whoa…major tearjerker) are so beautifully animated. It's great._

_**Wylkin- **sammiches…I now love that word…_

_**Strodgfrgf- **I like the quote "Damn you, you little lying Delilah," as well. Surprisingly, my friend asked me about that. She apparently didn't even know who Delilah was! I had to explain the entire "Samson and Delilah" story to her! After I told her I was just like "How could you not know that story! We went to a CATHOLIC school for heaven's sake!" Anyway, yeah, I've always liked that story…sad though…Delilah was pretty mean…_

_**Figureskater101-** thank you! I must agree with you on the Carlotta part. I think she's so freaking hilarious when she gets mad…_

_**DiamondMoonTears- **You like filming? My best friend's brother makes movies all the time, and he likes to make horror movies and quite frankly, they're pretty scary. I mean he adds all the creepy music and everything. I kept forgetting that you were StarGazingMoonPrincess, so forgive me if I ever forget. If I saw a story like mine that was Rae/Rob, I would refuse to read it and be insulted that the concept was ever considered. GRRRR to that pairing…_

_**Laurashrub-** hello again! By genre, I mean both literature and film. I'm glad you like the way the last song was handled, just gives me the confidence I need. And yes, soundtracks are awesome!_

_**Momiji-momo- **new reviewer, eh? Well, your not doing bad at all, I'm really glad you like my story so far!_

Also, in the song "Wandering Child", as far as I knew Christine, Raoul, _and _the Phantom were supposed to sing all together. I heard that they didn't do that anymore and that only the Phantom and Christine sang this song together. I've heard it both ways, and I like it better when all three of them sing. It seems to add more drama. Oh, well, I don't care, I'm just going to do it my favorite way and put in the all-three-singing-version in this fic. And if Kori and the Phantom are singing together at once, it will be in bold. So don't think that when they're singing together it's just him saying it.

Uuuups…yeah, like I said, the author's note would be long. Sorry!

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity collided with a matter of minutes, Kori stopped crying. She instead sat, resolutely staring at the ominous tombstone. The wind had suddenly lost its viciousness, and the snowy night seemed to calm. She didn't move, letting her mind completely engross herself into her depressed emotions. She heaved a great sigh, sending a soft ghostly fog emitting from her lips.

Suddenly her sadness seemed to soften without recognition. A violin began to play softly in the deserted graveyard.

Without questioning how or why it was playing, she felt her spirit lighten at the sound. Her eyes rolled involuntarily to the back of her head and didn't even feel her head tilt backward. She let the light moonbeams pool onto her skin and illuminate her face fully.

She felt her mind swirl with gentleness and ease as the music continued to play. The violin's stimuli smoothly collided with her freshly opened emotions and she breathed in the cold air slowly. Her eyes fluttered in a futile attempt to keep them from closing. As the song played on she exhaled every saddening feeling in her body and her eyes closed. Her arms slowly outstretched themselves as in an embrace of the music. A slight breeze that embraced her body caused a soothing combination to the melody. She lost all train of thought, and her mind was at ease. Her head seemed empty of worry or sorrow, and she let the soft notes flow through her with the slowed wind.

As she sat on her knees, arms outstretched and head skyward, her eardrums were met with a new sound. In her ecstasy a soft and soothing voice could be heard singing woefully upon the snowy mist. She did not move when she heard it, but listened on and she let his voice sway around her.

"_**Wandering Child,  
**__**So lost, so helpless,  
**__**Yearning for my guidance…"**_

As soon as the voice stopped, her mindless bliss immediately ceased. The violin had stopped playing, and at the sudden silence that followed an absence of music Kori's eyes showed signs of opening. In a way that expressed her being uplifted of a fantastic spell, she fluttered her eyes open. Somehow the meaning of what the voice had said stung her bitterly. She barely understood the double-meaning of his words and was left oblivious of its message, not knowing its effect was already taking place. She looked around for who she knew the voice had come.

"_Angel…or… father…  
__Friend…or…Phantom…?  
__Who is it there staring?"_

Before she could finish she heard the voice call out again. The sound of his voice swelled the air, lifting her pain airily with his slow trill of tone, which slowly took a more and more hypnotic effect.

"_**Have you forgotten your Angel…?"**_

She stared toward the direction of the little church, where she knew the voice had come from. The sickly gravestones surrounding suddenly looked unnaturally eerie, but she took no notice.

She lost all sense of thought, focus, and common sense as the voice rung stronger. He was going to help her, he was going to hold her and make it all better…he would never hurt her…he loved her…she could trust him…

Controversial thoughts involuntarily clouded her mind, completely convincing her that she was the furthest from danger, not once allowing herself to understand the horrible situation she was in. She stood up, her bony legs shaking from the impact of cold and the length of time she used to sit on them. She scanned the length of the church with her eyes until she found the door, which stood atop a wide, but short, upward stone staircase. She sleekly walked to where she could get a better view of the large doorway, letting her long coat swish ever so often in the now calm winds.

She was a bit of a far distance from the church doors, so she had to squint confusedly in the darkness. Her only source of light being the moon, she could not see what, or who, was standing majestically in the doorway. The moonlight fully lighted the stairway-skimmed doors where she stared, but within the open oak doors laid impenetrable shadow. Not once did she comprehend the almost complete darkness of the night around her, for there wasn't a streetlamp for miles. She suddenly felt compelled to approach the mysterious figure in the doorway, half-heartedly already knowing who he was.

The girl had no idea how rapidly she was losing this battle of mind control. She couldn't even think, letting only impulsive thoughts weigh through her confused emotions. She called back to the regal voice airily. She was positive now. This was him. Her feet began to shuffle toward the church slowly, almost without her notice.

"_Angel…oh speak…  
__What endless longings  
__Echo in this whisper…?"_

Back near the tall impending gates of the graveyard, Richard stood, stock stiff, unable to think. He watched the girl he loved cry her heart out, and how he wanted to embrace her and make her feel loved! But he couldn't, he had to stay put. He knew that she would never trust him again if she knew he had followed her here. But now he was seeing the madman who Kori now feared with all her heart attempting to seduce her through hypnotism. All could understand his fury as her forced words of consentuality skimmed through the night air. He stood frozen to the spot, wondering what to do. Surely he wouldn't do what Richard feared he would…he wouldn't…

But Richard was proved wrong when the Phantom's angelic voice carried over the grounds yet again. He looked to Kori, who was now transfixed with the figure who was now moving out of the shadowed doorway and into the moonlight.

Kori stared in wonder and awe at the sight of him. His mysterious air surrounded him as his ebony black cloak trailed loosely on the stone floor. The light of the moon made his appearance all the more enchanting as he held out his hands to her. He sang out again alluringly, drawing Kori towards him with each word, like a moth to a deadly flame.

"_**Too long  
**__**You've wandered in winter…"**_

Richard's confusion of the situation rose, refusing to subside. Immediately he then understood what was going on. This had happened before. This was always how he got her to come to him. But this time was different. He was going to take her from him permanently. He stared in panic at the scene before him, muttering to himself in comprehension.

"_Once again she is his…"_

Neither Kori nor the Phantom heard him. The Phantom continued in his lure, with Kori easily taking the bait at the time when she was most vulnerable: when she needed comfort. The Phantom knew her well, and knew that the easiest time to take advantage of her mind was when it was overcome with sadness, seeing as it happened every so often. His lips twisted into a loving but unnerving smile as the girl continued to approach him. He continued to sing to her.

"_**Far from  
**__**My far-reaching gaze…"**_

Richard's panic continued to render him immobile. He whispered to himself in despair,

"_Once again she returns…"_

Kori, oblivious to the extra onlooker, was totally consumed with the voice of the Phantom, and approached his moonlit figure with a wistful look in her eyes. She hardly recognized her own voice as the words spilled out.

"_Wildly my mind  
__Beats against you…"_

The Phantom narrowed his eyes that glinted with want and longing.

"_**You resist…"**_

She continued his sentence for him, completely losing her mind to him.

"_Yet the soul obeys…"_

He smiled malevolently.

"_**Yet your soul obeys…"**_

Richard couldn't stand it any longer. He leapt from his spot and ran frantically through the hollow gates. Running towards them, he almost yelled to them, but neither obliged his presence. He yelled on in confusion.

"…_To the arms of your angel..."_

Kori and the Phantom sang out to each other longingly, as if without interruption, in unison. They seemed to have finally opened up to what had been hidden and unknown for so long.

"**_Angel of Music!"_**

Richard ran past a row of tombstones.

"_Angel or demon…?"_

Kori came nearer and nearer to the church steps, she sounded sorrowful and reproachful now.

"…_I denied you…"_

The Phantom looked haughtily, seemingly acknowledging her forced repentance with open arms.

"…_**You denied me…"**_

Richard swerved a giant cross; they still seemed so far away…

"_Still calls her..."_

Kori's face looked immensely sorrowful and seemed to be seeking forgiveness. Kori and the Phantom sang in unison once again,

"_**Turning from true beauty…"**_

Richard jumped over three tombstones in a row. He wasn't reaching them fast enough.

"_Luring her back from the grave…"_

Again the two angelic voices rung out together, despite Richard's horror.

"_**Angel of Music!"**_

Kori's eyes were now brimming with tears; her face was raised upward again, for he was standing uphill from her. Silver tears slid down her cheeks as she clutched her heart with her white fist, her trembling lips inhaling the cold. She cried out to him mournfully, her hand still on her heart.

"…_my protector…"_

He, in turn, embraced her submission with arms wide open, smiling lovingly at her.

"_**Do not shun me…"**_

Richard was nearing them now, his panic turning quickly into a raw fury. He ran faster, hate now spurting from his mouth.

"_Angel…or…dark seducer…?"_

Kori was on the steps now. She slowly ascended them, as if her subconscious mind was telling her to be cautious. Each step was weighed with slow emotion. She gazed up at the man she knew everything and nothing about.

"_Come to me,  
__Strange Angel…"_

The Phantom lovingly looked down upon her, his visible face smoothing into a comforting smile. She was just below him…she was so near…she was going to be his and his alone…

"_**Come to your  
**__**Strange Angel…"**_

Richard was only a few rows away when he stopped short, staring in terror at what was unfolding before him. His sad eyes reverted to Kori, whose expression he could not read. How could he do this to her? How did he have the ability to cause such turmoil within the soul? He stared in wonder and confusion, with none of his questions answered.

"_Who_ _are you,  
__Strange Angel...?"_

Realizing how affecting his voice was to her, the Phantom leered out his voice hypnotically. He beckoned her slowly, and she complied. She was halfway up the heavy stairs. She was so close…so close…

"_**I am your Angel of Music…  
**__**Come to me,  
**__**Angel of Music…"**_

She was a little more than half way up the steps when a loud and angry voice cut into the night with it's obvious turmoil and stress. Richard shoved himself into view and pointed an accusatory finger at the man with an X'ed mask shielding his face. Richard almost screamed at him in defiance, almost daring him to draw away from his deed.

"_Angel of Darkness!  
__Cease this torment!"_

But he acted as if Richard hadn't even spoken. He merely continued his melodic chant that drew Kori ever so near to him.

"_**I am your Angel of Music…  
**__**Come to me,  
**__**Angel of Music…"**_

It was obvious to Richard that Kori had no knowledge that he had said two words. To conclude his fear she only continued up the stone moonlit staircase. Knowing that a far-off yell wouldn't get through to her, he sprinted up the steps to catch up with her. When level on the same stair with her, he groped at her arm feebly. He tried leading her the other way, at least to weaken the spell. Nothing. He had to try to convince her.

"Kori," he said, panting, "Kori, listen to me…"

She did not falter; she only moved her feet upward. Richard didn't stop. He wouldn't lose her this easily. No, not without a fight.

"Whatever you might believe, Kori," he said frantically, still tugging at her arm, "This man—this thing—is _not_ your father!" he slid his arm around her waist and tried to stop her from moving.

He looked straight into the eyes of the musical genius and spat at him furiously, still feebly trying to save her.

"Let her go, for God's sake!" He screamed, "Let her go!" He stared avidly into the eyes of the biggest competition in his life, and wretchedly pleaded with the girl that he was trying so hard to save.

"Let her go!" He screamed again into the dark eyes of the Phantom. Richard then spun his eyes around madly and tried fruitlessly to push Kori back, away from him.

"LET HER GO! Kori…Kori, look at me!"

There was no answer. Her bright green eyes were now a dark jade, empty and emotionless. Richard couldn't control himself. He screamed in despair, pleading her for her own release. He couldn't lose her. He could never let her go…not like this…

"KORI! Kori, listen to me! Kori, _please…!"_

Suddenly Kori's eyes returned their normal glow, but they were now lit up with fear. As if suddenly dawning on everything that just happened, the girl suddenly lost her balance in shock and clung to Richard's coat to prevent from falling to the hard ground.

"Richard? RICHARD!" She yelled pitifully realizing what was happening and why he was here. Suddenly looking into the eyes of her captor, and seeing what he was about to do, she let out a little yelp and yanked Richard down the steps with her, attempting to flee from him. She skidded down the stairs with Richard's arm held stiffly in hers, knowing all too well that the Phantom would follow.

And surely, within the work of a moment, the Phantom was in front of them, blocking their way. Richard swung Kori behind him protectively, knowing that he would attempt to take her again. But before Richard could think, a ball of fire had struck oh so near his foot, causing him to jump. He looked up fearfully into the face of a madman gone in a frenzy.

"Bravo, Richard, such spirited words!" he spat at Richard, shooting another strike of fire out of seemingly nowhere at Richard's feet again, causing him to move backward.

"More tricks, now?" he asked haughtily, ready to fight.

"Let's see, _dear Richard_, how far you dare go…" he stroke another blaze at the boy who jumped backward again, the shot narrowly missing his left shoe. Richard gave him a loathing and disgusted look.

"More deception? _More_ violence?" his expression grew angrier by the second, "You killed Mark, are you going to kill me too?"

There was no response.

"Go ahead," Richard yelled maliciously, "Try me."

Then, without warning, the mysterious man lunged at Richard with an immense strength that not many would have guessed he had. A swift and unexpected punch in the gut sent Richard a good distance to the side, almost causing him to run into a tree. He spun around, ready for another attack. He hadn't taken all those years of karate lessons just to be carelessly thrown around by a ghost who wanted to steal his girlfriend.

He ran at the specter, who dodged him at first, but was soon to realize how evenly matched the two were. The only real obstacle for Richard was the age difference, knowing that the man had at least five to ten years his senior under his belt, this gave the opera ghost an advantage of experience. The added fact of dark night surrounding them with only the moon as their guide was also an obstacle to set aside. He heard the sleek man call out with a taunt in his voice.

"That's right, that's right, Richard…keep walking this way…" he said icily.

Richard's eyes went wide at barely missing connection with the dark man's fist as he ducked heavily, almost toppling over into the snow. He threw himself at the Phantom madly as he heard Kori's feeble voice ring out to him.

"Richard, don't…please, no…"

"Stay back!" he yelled at her, pushing her out of harm's way.

Richard saw the dark figure speeding at him, scooted out of his way and kicked underneath the ghost's feet, sending him crashing to the ground. He recovered quickly and the two fought, almost eerily equally as good as the other, until they both began panting for breath at every interval possible, as to make sure not to lose strength.

With one final blow Richard sent the Phantom's body heavily to the pile of snow beneath him. Richard swung to the ground and pinned him with one arm from his side, his other arm poised into a fist. Richard stood there, waiting for him to move again, but kept a firm grip, as to be certain he didn't get back up. But it was fruitless, for the man did not move under Richard's weight; he only stood, poised on the ground. Large gusts of breath could be heard, but his masked face was straight and unmoving, with loathing etched all across. He did not try to attack Richard again.

With a wary expression Richard released his grip on the man's cloak. He stumbled upward from the ground and clutched Kori's arm in one hand, and putting his other around her shoulder. He looked around the starry-strewn sky, absorbing the moon's light as to make sure to know where he was going. He hurried off with the girl, leading her hastily out of the dark cemetery, breaking into a run halfway through. The shaken couple mounted Richard's motorcycle in a quick jump, as if half expecting him to follow them. He did not.

As the motorcycle zoomed off into the snowy night, neither of the frightened teenagers looked back, afraid of what they might see.

But back in the cemetery, the specter had already risen to his feet by the time the two had ran beyond the rusted gates. He leered after them, a furious fire burning in his eyes. So she had chosen the boy, had she? Mad anger surged through his tall figure as his ebony cloak began to swirl in the wind. She would soon regret this decision, and would return to him…in time. All in good time.

But the lingering hatred for her refusal of him still stung at his heart viciously. She wasn't going to be with him, of that he was sure. His horrifying eyes glittered with spite and malice as he watched them speed off fearfully. He muttered angrily under his breath, his evil voice hovering barely above a whisper.

"So be it…" he fumed, "now, let it be war upon you both…"

* * *

Wow…done with that chapter at LAST…I hope this chapter wasn't confusing. 


	19. Don Juan Triumphant

Hi all.

School is going pretty well, and I must say I am totally psyched at my painting that I'm doing in my Advanced Art Class. I have to do a copy of a quote "Master Painting", meaning that I just have to do a painting just like a famous artist did. Wow. Yay for originality…But I am glad that I'm doing a piece by Degas (he was the one who painted ballerinas) and so, lo and behold, my painting is a picture of ballerinas. It's actually quite pretty, the original, and I'm very glad to be painting it. I'm using pastels (which are, for a better word, chalk; and let me tell you…it gets EVERYWHERE when you use it) but everyone says it looks identical to the painting, so that's fine with me. So yeah that's been taking up all of my art classes for the past couple of weeks.

Other than that (and the fact that my next singing solo is a GERMAN song…ugh, I can barely pronounce it…) school is really starting to not be as torturous as it is most of the time. Which means I can update more! YAY!

Oh, yes, and if anyone thinks it's taking too long to update, well I have a confession to make. It seems that I have been reading fanfiction far more than I should be writing. I JUST CAN'T STOP READING THEM! I've mostly been reading Harry Potter fics lately (I never before realized how great they were). And so I've had trouble writing when I get onto the computer instead of reading. It's usually the other way around; when I'm writing, I usually don't have much time to read. But now that I am again…my mind is going into a full throttle reading addiction. And since it is mostly Harry Potter I'm catching up on, I have the strangest urges to search for the oddest and hardly-ever-heard-of-pairings, and then end up loving them! Dang, I'm getting weirder by the day.

_**Hanbags-** you have all the songs? NOT FAIR! I would kill to have those (well, the voice parts on them at least, I think you know I'm in a choir, and I would so love to use it). If you can play them on your keyboard, then you must be pretty good. I wish I could play piano, it's just so pretty! You want the script, do you? Well, I got mine unintentionally. My two-disc soundtrack from the Broadway original cast (the ORIGINAL…yeah, the musical was first made in 1986, with the first ever Phantom and Christine, and they're really really good) has the script on the inside. It's pretty long, I'll have you know, but I've got it. That's how I know the exact words to all the songs. I'm so flattered that you like it so much! Thank you!_

_**Melody of Melodies- **yes, it's a sweet song, but you have a love? Lucky you…I wish I had one, but for now I'm going to settle with ordinary boys that have no love potential._

_**Nova Beam- **thank you! I'm glad you like it, and I hope you like the next chapter, rest assured it took me forever to post!_

_**You Lick Snape's Balls- **Uuum…I'm awfully sorry, but I have no idea what you just said and/or meant in your review. I do recognize that you typed in the first chapter of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", but I'm terribly sorry to admit that I don't understand why you put it in your review. Please help me understand, I'm sorry again if my stupidity is annoying you._

_**Wylkin- **you're so nice! I wasn't sure if readers would consider it a long chapter, but longness is good for some, so yay! So glad that you still love my story!_

_**Jackalobe- **OOOOH, I get a gummy bear! WOOOHOOO! I love gummy bears. I just love boy fights, they bring out the…um…manliness in guys. Very fun to watch. _

_**Sexylilsis- **e-mailing you is so fun, I hope you update your stories soon!_

_**GS Dragono- **haha…glad it wasn't a sigh of frustration…lol…but yes, the lake was creepy. _

_**Angel saiyan 22- **POTO/Dragon Ball Z? I've never heard of such a crossover. Wow, I congratulate you for your individuality. I guess most people who like DBZ aren't much fans of Phantom. Oh well, I hope to read it sometime soon. You saw POTO in New York! That's so cool! I didn't see it in New York, though, I saw it at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. And when I saw it, I was on the floor and kind of close to the stage, but I was super far off to the left, so it wasn't a perfect view. It is a great show, though._

_**Smart One- **your sea monkeys fell over too? Wow, I guess it's more common than I thought, I mean considering the container is pretty darn easy to topple over. You haven't seen the Phantom movie? Well, I think it would be okay for a ten year old to see it. I myself, like I said before, HATE horror movies, (because of my skittishness, of course) and it wasn't all that scary for me. The fact that I'm fifteen years old myself shouldn't be that big of a factor. The movie itself has mostly suspense in it (and a few quote "frightening images", but we all know that it's not that bad). I think you would like it!_

_**TTHPfan- **don't worry, I wasn't confused on your view on the way I viewed it…lol. I agree with you on the suddenly feeling obsessed with Harry Potter feeling (I know that you informed me of this long ago but I mean to make a statement of it now). I'm becoming a bit obsessed with HP myself. This enveloped after I read the sixth book. Darn J.K. Rowling and her horribly good writing skills! I so can't wait for the seventh book. I know this is quite unrelated to my story, but I just felt the urge to say it._

_**Laurashrub- **your favorite genres aren't weird, I like those kinds, too. A lot of comic-based movies seem to catch my interest more than usual. How did your auditions go? My school choir did a "Les Miz" medley last year, and it was awesome! I like a lot of Disney songs, they are usually of very good quality to be sung to. If my chorus teacher would let me, I would sing Phantom, but they don't have any music that I can use to sing it with! It makes me so mad! _

_**Strodgfrgf- **I know how it feels to have a lifelong friend turn preppy…it's a real disappointment, really. Actually, now that I think of it, the boy who I had been friends with in eighth grade (the one who I mentioned last chapter) is now all preppy and barely talks to me anymore! I was so mad at first, but I just go run to my real friends for comfort and they make it all better. _

Okay, now, I hope I'm not making people mad by doing this, but I want to describe fully what the play "Don Juan Triumphant" is really about. None of my friends (except one, who had already researched this very opera and knew more than I did) knew or understood completely what the entire plot of the play was about, and I had to explain it to them. If you understand all the double meanings and are appalled that I would ever think you wouldn't understand, then just skip this. But if you only understood just the jist of what it meant, then read on.

The play starts off describing a young girl (Aminta, the main character) who stole food to survive. Then Don Juan, a rich (and quite sexually active) man catches her stealing and forces her to become his slave in repayment for her not to be turned over to the authorities. After being her master for a short time, he makes up his mind to seduce her. He plans to do this by dressing up his other servant like him, and sending him away, to make her think that her master had left the house. He then pretends to be the servant, and plans to have dinner with her, make her drunk, and have his way with her.

This is all revealed in the lines that the chorus sings at the beginning of the play. It starts off as _"Here the sire may serve the dam, here the master takes his meat. Here the sacrificial lamb utters one despairing bleat." _This is saying that his entire motive is to take advantage of her. Next, the chorus describes the girl, saying _"Poor young maiden! For the thrill on your tongue of stolen sweets", _implying of her life of 'stealing sweets' meaning she took food. _"You will have to pay the bill, tangled in the winding sheets,"_ clearly states that he expects her to let him do whatever he wants with her, since she is obviously 'in his debt'. The next lines, _"Serve the meal and serve the maid. Serve the master so that when tables, plans, and maids are laid," _mean that he is planning an elaborate plan to get her into bed, which we will see later._ "Don Juan triumphs once again," _obviously means that the plot ends up with her surrendering to him, causing him to 'triumph once again' over her.

The rest of the story should be obvious with the lines that the characters say from then on. Sorry if you thought that the things above were obvious and well known, but everyone I knew didn't understand, so I'm just trying to help.

OKAY…on with the story…

* * *

It was the grand opening night of the spring musical, as the light nights of late April had come at last. The auditorium flashed lavishly at passerby as to beckon any who did not indulge the theatre. Jump City High was known very widely for it's thespian excellence, therefore teenagers (and parents) from other schools filed endlessly through the school doors.

It was nearly an hour before the production, and literally hundreds of people had arrived. The high school itself was quite larger than average, holding about six thousand students merely within the school walls. This explains vividly the massive size that the auditorium would provide. Its large student body obliged for many of the finer décor to be used in the physical attributes of the place. Velvet lined chairs covered the floor and carved stone etched the walls, with shaded decorations to darken the atmosphere, yet make obvious the importance of the night. It was considered one of the most important nights of the school year, and for good reason.

Richard glanced nervously from left to right. Gar and Victor stood stock still at his side, ad if waiting for him to say something; but in the midst of the growing crowds, said nothing. To the boys' far left a group of the high school's security guards and policeman huddled ominously. They had black coats that looked creepily like a warden's uniform, but gave off the same effect. They consisted of a branched off police group who usually took charge if there was outrageously unwanted student conduct. Sharp-looking walkie-talkies were held in each hand. If you looked close, and only close, you could see deadly weapons held notoriously in their hilts. The chief of police was among them, and after long painstaking minutes of whispering, spoke.

"You all know your instructions?"

"Yes," came several replies.

"When you hear my whistle," the chief began, "take your positions. When I give you the signal, lock all the doors. It's extremely important that _all_ exits are blocked off."

Gar looked worriedly to Victor, a belittled look on his face.

"Dude…are you sure we should be doing this? I mean, it doesn't seem very…"

"Foolproof?" Victor asked, "No, it doesn't. You got any better ideas?"

Gar was silent. His blank stare had seemed to spread to Richard, for he seemed at loss for words as well.

"Grayson?" said the police guard, "Do you want me to give the order now?"

Richard snapped out of his reverie, looking as if being spoken to caused him to stern up a bit. His eyes turned cold as he turned to the direction of the guards. If one didn't know him, they would think he was glaring, with obvious malice dripping off his voice.

"Yes," he rasped, "give the order."

The chief guard signaled to his colleagues, who in turn fanned out the proximity of the auditorium. In the giant throng of people they were hardly noticed as each took their given position. Richard followed one of them in and leaned forward so bystanders could not hear.

"Do you have a clear view of the balcony?" he said, pointing to a specific corner where he knew it was told that the Phantom sat.

"Yes," came the dull reply.

"Remember", Richard said lowly, "When the time comes, shoot."

"Shoot?" the drone replied, "This is a school, Grayson, and you're just a student…"

"I know what I'm doing," he said icily, "I have permission to give such orders. The man you're searching for is a murderer."

"But with all these people here, that could be extremely…"

"I know," he said, "but this is an emergency; you were called for a reason." He saw the man's face harden in understanding and obedience.

"How will I know?"

"Oh, you'll know." He said, looking back up at the balcony with intense anger. When the guard started to protest, Richard spun on him, very insistent to make his point clear.

"If you see movement, _sir_," Richard made a contemptuous sound as he pronounced the word 'sir', "Shoot." He saw the look on the guard's face. "Only if you have to…but if it comes to that, then shoot. To kill."

And without another word, without a chance to let the drone protest, he briskly left the auditorium, leaving the now unwary man in his wake.

He reached Gar and Victor in the hall, with the chief of police with them. Gar approached Richard with a look of helpless defeat written on his features.

"Richard," he said warily, "are you sure this will work?"

"No." he said steadily. "But it's the best we can do."

"But is Kori even going to sing?"

"Don't worry, Gar, she will. Vic, you've barely said anything all night. Are you okay with all this?"

"Definitely." Victor's voice was even, but his eyes deceived him. But before Richard could be sure, the chief spoke up.

"Everyone's in position, Grayson."

"Go ahead, then."

The chief blew his whistle again, surprisingly unheard of by the crowd, but the guards heard.

"Are all the doors secure?"

One by one the guards answered in the affirmative. For the first time that night Richard felt slightly relieved. Victor tapped him on the shoulder.

"Dude, the curtain's gonna open in ten minutes, we'd better get our seats."

"You're right," he said, "You guys go ahead, I'll be there in a sec."

"Suit yourself." Gar replied. He just so happened to have a very nice view of Raven from across the way. She was handing out brochures at one of the entrances to the auditorium.

"I'm definitely going through _that_ door," Gar said happily. He then practically skipped to the entrance where Raven stood. She looked very becoming in an all black dress with long sleeves.

"Hey, Raven," Gar said merrily. He wasn't the only one who had noticed that his voice had gone up an octave higher. He was positively beaming at her; he couldn't help it. It was obvious he was happy to see her.

Raven cocked an eyebrow, handed him the brochure and said stonily, "Enjoy the show," but only Victor noticed the dull pink that had flushed her face as soon as Gar had walked on.

Richard stood near the entrance in the far corner of the vast room. He was right beneath the balcony, strategically right beneath the very spot where the Phantom was supposed to be. Although the night was noisy, he listened intently from his standing point. A shiver ran down his spine when he noticed a sound that was unlike the crowded disposition. Someone was whispering in the balcony above. Before panic could clutch his insides, he swerved his head toward the guard who was watching the balcony. The man was doing as he was told, and he did not look alarmed. Richard wondered if it was only he who could hear the whispers, but could have sworn that one of the things he heard above him was:

"_I'm here…the Phantom of the Opera…"_

Without realizing it, Richard shivered. He suddenly felt cold as he heard the husky whisper sweep down to him yet again. The sound seemed to be taunting him.

"_I'm here…the Phantom of the Opera…"_

He tried to ignore it. Why he tried, he personally had no idea. But he found himself becoming overly fascinated with trying to clear his thoughts. He did not want to visibly show his weakness: that fear was beginning to claw at his mind. His eyes were straining from being held as wide as they were for such a time without blinking. The calculating whisper floated into his eardrums for a third time, causing him to inhale violently.

"_I'm here…the Phantom of the Opera…"_

No matter how much he wanted to, Richard could not move. He stood stock still, afraid, yes, afraid, to move a muscle. The way the voice carried itself to him personally terrified him. The fact that no other person could hear it unnerved him even more. He refused to let himself show that he was as scared as he was. He did not look up; he didn't even fix his gaze anywhere but at the stage, lest he would notify to the Phantom to how mortified he had become.

Even though his blood still remained frozen, the whispers had stopped. He did not allow himself to relax, for he knew that the Phantom wasn't finished toying with him. He remained where he was, and sure enough, he heard a soft sound sweeping down the balcony and into his mind. The specter was singing, soft and heard only by Richard, and he was sure that the ghost was highly pleased with himself. He was bluntly making fun of Richard right in the midst of public, yet no one knew. The soft song blew into Richard's ears like a deadly smoke, and Richard shuddered violently at the sound.

"_Seal my fate tonight…  
__I hate to have to  
__Cut the fun short…  
__But the joke's wearing thin,  
__Let the audience in,  
__Let my opera begin…!"_

At that very moment, Richard jumped, for a giant wave of music had startled his blood flow. The orchestra pit had become alive with music, as to forewarn the opening of the curtain. Richard slowly unclenched his fists, where he noticed that his knuckles had gone stark white. At coming back to reality, he shakily walked to his seat next to Gar and Victor.

At coming to his seat, he dropped into his chair like a lifeless rag doll. He didn't even notice when Victor spun his bald head around and inspected his peculiar actions.

"Yo, Richard…" he looked as if he was about to wave his hand in front of Richard's face. "Dude, Gar, I think he's sick or somethin'…"

"Really?" Gar had to make an extreme effort to be able to see around his tall friend. "Hey man, what's up? You look awful," Gar cocked his head. "You look like a zombie, Dick."

"I'm fine." Richard spoke roughly, after clearing his throat, "I'm just…tired."

Victor and Gar exchanged glances that clearly read 'I don't wanna ask him, do you?' They shrugged it off as moody and focused their attention to the curtain that had still not opened.

"Man, when is this thing gonna start?" Gar said.

As if on some ironic cue, the lights began to dim, and the remaining people who hadn't sat down hustled and bustled to their seats. The velvety scarlet curtain swept across the stage, opening up to reveal the first scene. The lights flashed on, the props were in place, and the play had begun.

For the first half of the play, Richard was far from bored. Although nothing of any importance was occurring, he was in total anticipation for the very last scene. Nothing abnormal was to happen until then. The first half of the musical went perfectly; Kori sang to the greatest of her ability, impressing many, the entire cast did everything in perfect order, of which all was expected. Nothing was going wrong. _'Then again,' _Richard thought, _'it's not supposed to yet.'_

When the lights of the auditorium brightened as to signal the intermission, Richard looked down to see that he had been clenching the armrests like his life depended on it. He relaxed his muscles, loosened his shoulders, and released the armrests in a way that seemed to restore his circulation. He looked over to his two friends, who had already begun to stand up. Gar seemed to be preparing for a beeline to the concession stand. Richard went with them, seeing as some candy might do him good. When Gar got to the counter, though, all he could do was roll his eyes and betray a small smile.

"DUDE," Gar said, excitedly holding a ten-dollar bill in one hand, "I'm gonna get three bags of M&M's, one Snickers bar, a box of Milk Duds, a super large order of popcorn…well FINE, Vic, you can have _some_ of it…a bag of gummy worms, a pack of Reese's PB cups, a slushy, and…" Richard couldn't help but grin, "…a DIET coke."

Victor practically pushed him out of the way when Gar had finally gotten everything he had ordered. Victor actually considered getting as much as his little friend, but looking back at the short junior, and seeing as how hyper he'll be in a matter of minutes, said, "Y'know, I'm just gonna get some Twizzlers."

Richard followed the two back to the auditorium, where the two boys were bickering over how much candy Gar was going to share. It was finally absolved that Gar was going to give half of his popcorn to Victor, but proclaimed, "Don't even _think_ about touching the slushy."

Two minutes later, when Gar handed the senior a small handful of popcorn and began walking in the other direction, Victor looked furious. Richard just rolled his eyes and returned to his seat.

Finally all three of them were seated, and just in time for the second half of the play to continue. The temporary relaxation of the intermission that had soothed Richard had now been frozen over with raw anxiety. If he had been an impulsive nail-biter, Richard would definitely not have any nails left to chew. As planned, the second half went as smoothly as it should have been. If one didn't know the situation like Richard did, they would think that the night was a guaranteed success. And then, after the entirety of the whole musical, came the moment that Richard was waiting for: the final act, the final scene.

The curtain opened to reveal a huge hall with a stone arch that went the width of the stage. Behind the large arch were crimson curtains shaded with black, behind which was a bed. It was an extraordinarily adorned canopy bed with scarlet silk covers and black velvety pillows. It was the furthest back in the scene, but it could be seen perfectly, for the curtains covered the area stylishly, as to purpose a very rich household. In the front of the scene lay a fine table set for two, with gourmet dishes placed all around.

Those who could be seen were the chorus, who were playing as the staff members of Don Juan. All were dressed as if in the sixteenth century. The staff had an evil look about them, which of whom consisted of ruffians and hoydens who were proud of their master's sexual reputation. The staff members crowded around the area, making the room ready and joking with themselves. They sang their introduction song with pride and arrogance, flaunting around with gay smiles and inappropriate banter.

"_Here the sire may serve the dam,  
__Here the master takes his meat!  
__Here the sacrificial lamb  
__Utters one despairing bleat!"_

For the first time Richard identified Kiona as one of the chorus members of the staff. She was well blended with the others, so it was hard to tell them apart. Their song then began to take a turn to cruelty and vengeance. The sound turned into a calculating taunt that sent chills down the spines of the audience.

"_Poor young maiden!  
__For the thrill on your tongue  
__Of stolen sweets  
__You will have to pay the bill,  
__Tangled in the winding sheets!"_

The chorus grinned malevolently, and Richard suddenly became scared for Kori. He reassured himself that it was only a play; they were only acting. But something about it seemed horribly real; something seemed to foreshadow an event that no one would want to live through. He tried to reassure himself again and again. But the sickening feeling wouldn't leave his stomach every time he heard the words that poured maliciously from their mouths.

"_Serve the meal and serve the maid!  
__Serve the master so that, when  
__Tables, plans and maids are laid,  
__Don Juan triumphs once again!"_

Steven, as Don Juan, swept gracefully from behind the arch and curtains. He was dressed in magnificent clothes, rich in color, and had a black mask around his eyes. Alan, who was playing the role as his servant Passarino, followed him onto the stage. As soon as they emerged, Jinny pirouetted onto the stage as a gypsy dancer, twirling graciously around the boys. Steven took something out of his pocket and threw her a purse. The girl left promptly afterward.

Steven strutted around the stage and turned on Alan, with a mischievous grin on his face. He clapped his hands together, as if getting ready to start some sick game.

"_Passarino, faithful friend,  
__Once again recite the plan."_

Alan, who was dressed even more extravagant than Steven, only with a cloak covering his head and a scarf over his face, suddenly seemed to earn more confidence. They skinny boy smiled wickedly.

"_Your young guest believes I'm you,  
__I the master, you, the man."_

Steven approached him congenially, as if merely chatting with an old friend.

"_When you met you wore my cloak,  
__With my scarf, you hid your face.  
__She believes she dines with me,  
__In her master's borrowed place!"_

He smiled devilishly, causing Richard to squirm in his seat. But Steven seemed to be progressing in interest the further his lines went.

"_Furtively, we'll scoff and quaff,  
__Stealing what, in truth, is mine.  
__When it's late and modesty  
__Starts to mellow, with the wine…"_

He rubbed his hands together anxiously, and one would have to look close to see that he had licked his lips at that very moment. Alan smiled and sang on after him excitedly.

"_You come home, I use your voice,  
__Slam the door like crack of doom!"_

Steven enthusiastically ran up to Alan and almost yelled from anticipation.

"_I shall say, 'Come, hide with me!  
__Where, oh, where? Of course…my room!'"_

By now Steven looked like he was about to go insane with lust. He was truly a great actor. Alan almost laughed, as was his part, and he chuckled merrily.

"_Poor thing hasn't got a chance!"_

Steven almost threw off his belongings and tossed them to Alan.

"_Here's my hat,  
__My cloak and sword.  
__Conquest is assured,  
__If I do not forget myself and laugh…"_

He and Alan laughed maniacally, causing Richard to shiver momentarily. Steven then put on Alan's servant cloak and disappeared behind the red curtains. Alan promptly walked off the stage, leaving it empty.

Offstage, Kori slowly walked into the scene. She had on a skimpy yet becoming dress of laced red and black. The top half was a tightly fitted lacey material that tugged at her midriff and had loose spaghetti strapped sleeves that were held feebly atop her shoulders. Her long, flowing skirt was beat red and was lined with lightweight lace. She was barefoot, carrying in flowers with an obvious cheer on her voice. She happily sang out into the silent distance.

"_No thoughts within her head,  
__But thoughts of joy!  
__No dreams within hear heart,  
__But dreams of love!"_

She sat down in the middle of the stage, plucking tenderly at a white rose that she had picked from her basket.

Alan slunk back into the scene, checking behind the curtains to see if Steven would emerge.

"_Master?"_

But the voice that answered back was not Steven's. It was darker, heavier, and more menacing. A tall man that familiarized Steven emerged, with his face covered. He looked the young girl up and down from behind her, and his eyes glinted his approval of what he saw.

"_Passarino—go away!  
For the trap is set  
And waits for it's prey…"_

_

* * *

_

Uuuuuuum...yeah, agian with the updating thing...SORRY! I still blame school!


	20. The Point of No Return

HI!

I would like to ask you all a question. Do any of you take online quizzes? Well, I've just become totally addicted to There are SOOOOO many quizzes there, I just love them! Love them all I say! I think I've taken over twenty "Which Hogwarts House Do You Belong In?" quizzes, and almost ALL of them said I belonged in Gryffindor! YAAAY! They have a quiz for _everything_ there! It's just so awesome! Okay, I'm done now.

I want everyone to officially know how much I just LOOOOOVE this next song! "The Point of No Return" is probably my favorite song out of the whole musical (besides the POTO theme, of course)! So I'm just super outrageously excited to finally be writing this chapter! Oh yes!

It's really surprising how many of you think that this song is called "Past the Point of No Return". I'm sorry to say that the actual name is only a little shorter. It's just called "The Point of No Return". But the word "past" is said a LOT in the song, so it's very understandable at how people could get confused with the name.

_**Ninjamonkey- **it's your favorite song too? That's so cool, I think I'll drive everyone about crazy with how much I like it. I hope you like it!_

_**Hanbags- **you get to be Christine! EVEN MOOOORE NOT FAIR! Are you in middle school or high school? Because my high school would never let us perform plays like that! We just do normal musicals that only need a singing talent, not opera. Are you actually going to be singing opera, or just normally? Because my voice teacher says it's not healthy for most teenagers to sing opera like that (apparently it strains the voice when it's too young). I found that out when I asked to be taught arias (those are opera songs). He said he would let me sing some opera (in my case) but it is generally not supposed to be done. So yeah, I so wish my school would let us do that._

_**Tanaris- **You read the book too? Yay! I love it when I get reviewers who've actually read the book! And thank you! _

_**Strodgfrgf- **thank you! It's one of my favorite songs too! I just LOVE this song!_

_**Smart One- **I'll try to make this okay for you to read, but this chapter and onward is kind of where mature stuff starts. There isn't going to be any sex scenes or anything (I don't write anything more than PG-13…Lemon just isn't my thing) but there's just going to be sexual tension. Nothing too explicit, I promise. _

_**Nova Beam- **I'm sorry to say that the Phantom never really asked her to "marry" him specifically, he just wanted her to love him back and spend the rest of her life with him. I guess marriage would come with that, but probably later, after she accepts. But we all know she doesn't really do that…so yeah. Glad you liked the last chapter! And yes, school can be a total pain._

_**GS Dragono- **yep, Richard is becoming quite the scardy-cat right now, but he's supposed to be. And don't worry, I won't give up on anything!_

_**StakeMeSpike04- **you got to see Phantom! NO FAIR! NO FAIR AT ALL! Wait, are you saying that you hadn't seen it before? Now I never knew this; I thought you had seen it. I suppose you had only read the books and seen the movie. Well now you've seen the musical and your life feels just about complete now, don't it? I live in Illinois, but the city where I live is right across the river from St. Louis, Missouri. There's a Fox Theatre there, and that's where I see all my Broadway performances. The next time Phantom is coming to St. Louis is next June, and I definitely intend on seeing it for a second time! Oh, and speaking of musicals, I'm going to see "Wicked" in less than a month! Have you seen that musical? I haven't, and I just can't wait to see it!_

_**Abby- **hahaha…you're funny! Thank you! I'm so glad you like it! _

_**TTHPfan- **well, I'm glad I helped at least some people understand Don Juan better. I'm glad you actually liked the slight humor I put in. I can't wait for the Goblet of Fire either! I just really hope they don't ruin it. All my friends say that they changed a lot of stuff from the book, and they pretty much did. I just hope it doesn't totally ruin the effect of the movie. Although Ron should really cut his hair, but that's just my opinion. But I really really REALLY want to see that movie! _

_**Laurashrub-** you've been working on your story for over a year? WOW! Cool, you get to sing a song about hating men! Yay! You're an alto? I know a lot of people who're altos, and even more who are metzos. I'm a soprano, though, so I think the Phantom songs are fun to sing, it's just the opera part that's difficult. Apparently it's not normal for teenagers to sing opera since their voices are so young. My voice teacher said that I could go into an operatic field in the future if I wanted to, and I think that would be sooo cool if I did!_

_**Angel saiyan 22- **I'm glad you don't see any improvement needed…that's a relief. I just hate it when people do see something, but they just nitpick on the spellings instead. Thank you, and I hope to read your story when it's published._

_**Jackalobe- **HAHAHA…it wasn't THAT much of a cliffy…was it? Well, I'm glad I at least have you on the edge of your seat! I also love Kiona's part in the song, and in the movie, yeah, it really does give you chills. But I'll have you know that the girl who sings as Carlotta in the musical is just soooo much better than the one in the movie (although the girl in the movie is really good too) but this girl just sings like…WHOA. Just whoa. Like so so so powerful. I'm so glad I'm not the only person who didn't understand "You Lick Snape's Balls" review. I mean, did you even see a point in what they wrote? I mean, it's just the first chapter of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" only written in their own words. I so didn't read it all, but there was nothing about commenting my story in it. What do you think the person meant? I mean, I personally have no clue. _

_**Jaina 12- **I'm glad I could help with understanding stuff. School is getting easier to find time for. I'm so happy you like my story, and I'm really glad I finally get to write this chapter!_

REMEMBER…when it says they're both singing (and the lyrics are in bold), it means that they're both singing! Yes I do in fact realize how stupid that sentence sounded, but that's not bothering me at the moment.

And now…for the moment we've ALL been waiting for…

* * *

Kori sat still, as was her part. She gazed longingly at the white flower held in her hand. She had no idea she was being watched, for she thought Steven was still backstage. For a split moment the girl let her mind rest with ease; and serenity swept her. A sudden and powerful voice from behind caused her heartbeat to freeze.

"_**You have come here  
**__**In pursuit of your deepest urge,  
**__**In pursuit of that wish, witch till now,  
**__**Has been silent…"**_

She jumped violently at the sound of his voice. That was not Steven, and she was sure of that. She slowly turned her head around to look behind her, with her quivering mouth agape in shock. Her wide and fearful eyes poured onto the face of the Phantom in Steven's costume. At first she did not recognize him, without his white mask with the red X scratched into the right cheek. But his voice affirmed her fears, and she suddenly ran short of breath.

He saw her flinch, but only basked in her frightened surprise. He swept to the side of the stage so she could have full view of him. A wicked smile played upon his lips as he noticed and enjoyed her fear. He knew she would try to make a signal to Richard if she could, but he wanted to taunt her first. He put a pale finger to his lips as he smiled again.

"…_**Silent…"**_

She understood now. He was telling her in his sick way not to try anything, at least not anything to mess up the scene. She turned her head back towards the audience, her eyes downcast and full of terrifying comprehension. She was trapped now. There was no way out; she would have to finish the scene.

"_**I have brought you  
**__**That our passions may fuse and merge,"**_

She felt her eyes tempting themselves to roll, but she wouldn't let them. She snapped them shut and began to stand. She was going to perform the play like nothing was wrong, and that would take all the energy she could ever have. She stood there for a moment and opened her eyes. She looked at him as if her character would. She walked towards him, with his voice growing ever stronger.

"_**In your mind  
**__**You've already succumbed to me,"**_

She walked slowly and robotically towards him; she was supposed to, after all. She slowed, and showed signs of stopping, but, without her consent, she really came to him without a fight. Her face seemed to fully embrace his persuasion, for she was no longer acting.

_**Dropped all defenses,  
**__**Completely succumbed to me…"**_

She approached him, and she did not know what she was getting herself into, or what was going to happen. He touched her forearms and swayed her to his opposite side, so that she was facing stage left, and him stage right.

"_**Now you are here with me,  
**__**No second thoughts,"**_

He was getting so close, ever so close. She would have felt horribly awkward if he hadn't entranced her with his voice. He smoothly trailed a solitary finger down her jaw line.

"_**You've decided…"**_

He coiled his finger into his hand and cupped her chin with it. He raised her reluctant eyes to meet him head on. He saw weakness and helplessness in those eyes. She almost seemed to be silently pleading with him, but it only urged him further.

"…_**decided…"**_

A sudden flick of panic alighted into Richard's eyes. No one else in the audience had noticed the switch of cast members. And with horror inexpressible in words, he swerved his head around to look at the balcony; it was most definitely empty, and he now knew for sure. His knuckles whitened as he gripped tighter onto the velvety armrests. He then and there faced that what he feared was happening right before his eyes, and he would have to sit back and watch it all happen, lest he ruin the entire plan. Whether the plan included the Phantom taking the place of the lead role or not, Richard had no clue. All he knew now was that he could not let him know he knew, and to do that he would have to do the hardest thing imaginable at the moment: sit and wait. He focused again on the stage, where Kori still remained ahold in the Phantom's lustful grasp.

Kori gazed into his eyes, trying her hardest not to let her guard down. But it would soon prove fruitless, for this was his expertise, his play, and his rules. There was no way she could win.

The Phantom let go of Kori's chin and slightly touched her hands, slipping his own around them.

"_**Past the Point of No Return,"**_

With a quiet gesture too quick for her to notice, he took her arms gently in his grip.

"_**No backward glances,"**_

He turned her around, making her back face his stomach. Still holding onto her arms, he moved her closer to his body, so that they were touching the other.

"_**The games we've played till now,"**_

With a swift movement, he moved his left leg in between hers and pulled her backward onto him, as he leaned back slowly. Her arms fell loosely at his side, she leaned into his hip, and her head rolled back into his chest. He arched his back, pulling her back with him, and he whispered into her ear seductively.

"…_**are at an end…"**_

He brought her back up, bringing a brisk intake of breath from the girl as he did so. He grinned at the thought of making her breath faster than normal. He took a step forward, she did too.

"_**Past all thought of 'if' or 'when',"**_

He turned her again, this time to face him. They took rhythmic steps to the beat of the song, her moving one step backward at a time, and he moving each step forward.

"_**No use resisting,"**_

With a sudden tug, he swung her toward him, and she complied. It was all part of the scene, and no one would know of her horrible situation. He swung her into his side, with her arms slightly raised over her head, with a tempted look upon her paling face. She turned her head and looked into his eyes.

"_**Abandon thought,  
**__**And let the dream descend…"**_

She moved her arms slowly back down to her sides as he sprawled his arm around her waist. With his other hand he gently pressed against her stomach, slowly moving her backward towards the floor. As he moved her back, his hand glided up her chest, onto her neck, and trailed back down as he brought her back up. Her head fell fully backward as he raised her in the forward pull, causing her long tightly curled hair to sway behind her. When she was standing erectly, she felt his presence leave her for a split second of relief. For a moment, the girl was lost in her state of mind, and she did not know where he was, or where _she_ was, just that he wasn't there.

The masquerading Don Juan suddenly came up from behind her and clutched her neck in his left hand, with his right enclosing on her right arm. She felt his breath flow heatedly onto the right side of her neck and shoulder. She felt like the victim of a vampire waiting to be bitten, but no such thing occurred.

She knew him, and she also knew that he would know better than to try something that drastic in front of people. Before her mind allowed her to calm, her subconscious told her that he certainly _would_ try something of the sort, or why else would he be on the very stage she stood, if not to claim what he believed to be his? She yelled at herself to put the thought away, that it wasn't true; none of it was true, _"just finish the scene"_, she thought to herself. She repeated words of comfort into her head, and it succeeded in smothering her fright. But when she heard the ghastly sound of music emitting from his lips in the moment that followed, she could literally feel the lust clinging onto his every word.

"_**What raging fire  
**__**Shall flood the soul?"**_

The hand that had a hold on her right arm suddenly found itself in her own. He squeezed her hand slightly as she felt the edge of his cheek softly make contact with her face.

"_**What rich desire  
**__**Unlocks its door?"**_

Moving his hand across her neck, he brought his other hand up to rest on her shoulder. His lips lightly touched her skin as he slid his hands down her right arm.

"_**What sweet seduction lies,"**_

Taking her hand again in both of his, he turned his head upward, hoping to find a reaction. Kori began to breathe deeply again as she felt his mouth against her ear. She squeezed her eyes shut, like a little girl hoping to hide and to make everything leave her presence, but it did not. Her temple began to throb with pressure as his voice crept into her eardrums, making her nerves tingle with fear and desire.

"…_**before us…"**_

The word 'us' was barely heard by the audience, for he had whispered it in a way that made Kori inwardly shiver. Her eyes fluttered open for a split second before immediately closing again, this time not of her own consent. She rolled her neck at the sound, and stretched it backward as he wrapped his arm around her and took hold of her other hand. It was not the first time he had rendered utterly powerless, but the short time he owned her then was startling with the adding situation.

When the orchestra's smooth violins made their cue, the two stepped in line with the rhythm, and the song went on.

"_**Past the Point of No Return,"**_

He twirled her around softly, causing her lacy dress to spin into a rippling effect around her frail body. He kept her arms above her head and looked her up and down.

"_**The final threshold,"**_

He came upon her from behind again, taking her head lightly in his hands, whereas she followed his every motion. With her eyes still restfully closed, he swayed her head from side to side, in beat with the slow and sensual tune.

"_**What warm, unspoken secrets  
**__**Will we learn,"**_

His arm snaked around her waist, with the other resting upon her shoulder. He spoke to her from behind, and brought his voice down to a slow tone.

"_**Beyond the Point of No Return…"**_

The minute he stopped singing, Kori's eyes snapped open. It was nothing short of mechanical, but she knew what she was doing. She swept out of his grasp, and walked a few slow steps to the left, looking back at him as she tip-toed.

"_You have brought me  
__To the moment where words run dry,  
__To the moment  
__Where speech disappears  
__Into silence…"_

She looked into the audience and found Richard immediately. She gave him a pleading look that only he could recognize.

"…_silence…"_

She turned her head back to face the Phantom, for he had noticed nothing. To lead him on in the way she knew she should, it would be vital for him not to realize how much Richard knew.

"_I have come here,  
__Hardly knowing the reason why,"_

She walked towards him, never breaking her gaze, until they were almost as close as they were before.

"_In my mind  
__I've already imagined,"_

She continued to walk to his other side, but on passing him, rubbed the front of her body against his.

"_Our bodies entwining,"_

His eyes widened in surprise and bewilderment at the sudden physical friction between them, and that she was the conductor this time. After recovering from his pleasuring surprise he smiled at her, for she had now already passed him, and seemed to remain walking in the same direction.

"…_defenseless and silent,"_

She turned on her spot and approached him, forbidding a small smile. She took her hands in his and wrapped her hands around his arms, moving closer to him in the process.

"_And now I'm here with you,  
__No second thoughts,  
__I've decided,"_

His eyes seemed to burn into her, for she found it increasingly hard to look away from him. Her face was straight and serious, but it still hung in an air of defeat.

"_Decided…"_

With the blink of her eyes, she disconnected her gaze with him. She swept around him, in a walking motion, behind him, causing him to turn around and look after her.

"_Past the Point of No Return,  
__No going back now,"_

At that very moment, her skinny sleeves of lace that laid upon her shoulders immediately dropped to the sides of her arms. Revealing her bare shoulders, she began to make her walk more slow, putting a drooping emphasis on each step, as if teasing him to follow her. She looked back and smiled as she stepped, with a playful look of seduction in her emerald eyes.

"_Our passion play  
__Has now, at last,  
__Begun…"_

With every emphasized step she took with the beat, he slowly followed, like a dog drooling along, waiting for a piece of steak. She rolled her neck again, this time of her own consent, and spun around in rhythm as the music was reaching a crescendo. He was right behind her when she turned around, and she knew he would be. Although he was the one in control of the play, for the briefest moment, she was the one in control of him.

She put her hand against his shoulder and straightened her arm against it, playfully pushing him backward in step with the melody. Every step she took forward, he took backward, and he was beginning to respond to her game of sensuality.

"_Past all thought  
__Of right or wrong,  
__One final question,"_

Suddenly the Phantom's hands clenched around her arms and drew her to his right side. He looked down upon her face as he ran his hand up and down her arm.

"_How long  
__Should we two wait  
__Before we're one…?"_

With an unexpected smile from the girl, he spun her around and pressed her against his stomach. At the moment she wasn't facing him, Kori faced the audience. She scanned the audience and locked gazes with Richard. In the split second that she saw him, a look of sheer panic swept across her features. In a look that only Richard could understand, Kori let the words come out of her mouth not as a song, but as a plea.

"_When will  
__The blood begin to race,"_

Only Richard noticed that her eyes had become glassy. She was faltering. He tensed in his seat, praying she wouldn't give in. Hoping that she wouldn't lose herself to the powerful forces in front of her. Her evergreen eyes shimmered with tears that refused to fall. She pleaded with Richard. She pleaded that he would help her, but he could not. The scene was almost over, and she couldn't turn back.

"_The sleeping bud  
__Burst into bloom,"_

The Phantom tightened his grip on her arms, so that he held them behind her back. Like she was his captive. And she was. The more she thought of it, no matter how hard she wanted to deny it, she really did belong to him, whether she willed it or not.

She slid her right foot behind his, and leaned her weight onto her left knee. He pulled her downwards to balance onto his knee and he held her hovered over the ground.

"_When will the flames at last,"_

Her vibrantly ruby hair hung woefully over her face in a look of defeat as she hung, feet from the ground, by his arms. Her face could not be seen, but her head hung downward, helplessly, breathing heavily. Not a soul saw the soft glittering tears that splattered across the black floor as she breathed the heart wrenching line.

"_...consume us…"_

The specter dropped her. For a reason unknown to Kori, he had dropped her. He was supposed to let her down gently at that moment, but his icy fingers trembled where they had last touched her skin, with the sensation that he had been temporarily burned. But before Kori could grab ahold to a light strand of hope, she looked into his eyes and shuddered.

A look of new arousal had flickered onto his expression. His eyes were alight with lustful malice as he beckoned her to stand. He had broken her. As the twisted smile appeared on his lips, he realized that he had shattered her spirit, taken everything away that would allow her to oppose him. She was his now. Looking into her fearful eyes he now understood that she would not again refuse his touch, or retaliate against his actions. She stood up like she was told.

Kori's face had hardened. She looked more than willing to do what he wanted, to belong to him forever. A smile of her own touched her lips, and that alone encouraged the ghost further. Her playfulness returned, her debauching demeanor unfolded once again. She walked to him steadily, approaching in the sensual way as she had done before, leading him further and further.

They sang together as the music began to crescendo. Circling the other like birds of prey, they sang out with a new fiery sound.

"_**Past the Point of No Return,  
**__**The final threshold,"**_

The two were feet apart when they broke their circle and darted toward the other into a gliding sweep. He caught her in his arms, swung her, twirled her in a circle at the speed of light, with her dress flying all about her.

"_**The bridge is crossed,"**_

He spun her all around his own body, then rammed her into his stomach again, where her head flung itself to the left. The music ran into a raging fortissimo, swinging its vibrations around the two people. Kori snapped her head back forward to the right side, overexposing her neck.

"_**So stand  
**_**_And watch it burn..."_**

He pressed his mouth against her ear, so that his hot breath blew into it. Kori closed her eyes, in an attempt to make it stop. Noting she said could stop him now. She didn't want this, and he knew it. But he had convinced himself that she would find a way to love him when, in reality, she never could. She numbed her senses, so that she wouldn't feel his unwanted hands roam her body.

"_**We've Passed the Point  
**__**Of No Return…"**_

With an overpowering hand clutched at her arm, she let his other hand smooth over her stomach, up her chest, around her shoulders. He made his way back down, gliding over her left breast, where he knew she had a pressure point. Kori bit her lip and squeezed her eyes tighter. It would soon be over…all over, and she would be with Richard. Richard, yes, she had to keep thinking of Richard, it was the only way to keep her sanity.

She felt his hand take hold of hers as he pressed his lips to her neck. He kissed her soft skin with his light lips, silently threatening with them. She flinched at this, but he did not notice. His mouth left her neck; and without realizing what had hit her, she felt his breath in her ear again. His arm had snaked around her waist, while the other still had hold of her hand. Before completely succumbing her mind to him she heard a soft sound emit from his lips. It was not in the script, but the audience still heard. It was a soft and haunting melody that Kori and Richard both recognized. He sang it softly to her, rocking her back and forth as he sang.

"_**Say you'll share with me  
**__**One love,  
**__**One lifetime,  
**__**Lead me, save me  
**__**From my solitude…  
**__**Say you'll want me with you,  
**__**Here, beside you…"**_

The arm that had taken her waist had now wrapped itself around her neck. He brought her head under his to rest in the crook of his neck, leaning his chin into her hair. He really did love her. No matter how lustful he may be, he still loved her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and she knew it. She opened her eyes, with fresh tears flowing freely from them. She soaked up his hold, becoming one with his soul. He embraced her with all the emotion he had, letting out every feeling of infatuation, lust, and love that he had kept inside for so long.

"_**Anywhere you go,  
**__**Let me go too,"**_

Kori's arm reached up from behind her to touch his face. To her astonishment, it was warm, full of the burning desire and love to keep her as his own for all eternity. She ran her hand over his skin, absorbing in it's intense warmth.

"_**Kori,"**_

Her hand suddenly made contact with something different. The hard mask scratched against her fingernails. With saddened determination, she let her fingers latch across his mask, and she tightened her grip.

"_**That's all I ask of…"**_

Kori clenched her eyes shut, and with a violent sweep, snapped the mask off his face. She inhaled more violently than she had ever done before, for she felt his fingernails dig into her skin. She heard a low growl escape him, and she was stabbed with fear. She could literally feel his rage pierce into her soul as his grip tightened. But before she had a chance to panic her thoughts were interrupted by the violent screams of the audience.

* * *

Okaaaaay, so I waited a _little _longer than I should have to update..can I blame school again?


	21. Down Once More: Part 1

HI everyone!

If some of you are outrageously unhappy with me for not updating in what! Four months!—I must, first of all, apologize. But, for those of you who read my profile and realized that I had made an actual notice (clearly stating) that I would not even start writing until Epiphany (the official end of the Catholic Christmas season) I congratulate you. So yes, the twelve days of Christmas has been elongating my time away from the wonderful And the fact that it's an entire two months _after_ that is totally not the point. I will rationally try very hard not to take this long to update again.

I explained a lot of exactly why I took so long in my profile. Usually, if something's up, and you guys don't know what's going on, then please a.) review me and ask, or b.) check my profile, because sometimes I explain reasons for stuff that happen.

Oh, and I must warn you all that this chapter is going to bepretty short. I apologize for that. I just want to get _something_ updated, rather than nothing at all, you know? It just means that you have at least a little to read, and you're not completely in the dark. I'll get back to it as soon as I can, really.

I also wanted to ask what you guys all thought about flaming fanfictions. I've been seeing a whole lot of them lately on the stories I've read, and I hope none of you get horribly angered with me if I express how I feel about it freely.

Quite frankly, it's insensitive. I mean, this person spent a whole lot of time thinking of a plot, perfecting it, changing it, and doing what fits the person's imagination. And when someone comes along and gives them some sort of message that's so filled with vulgarity and insults (some are worse than others) that just repulses me.  
Constructive criticism I can very well understand. Some people need correcting. Heck, **I** need correcting. But correcting is only for the benefit of the author, so that he or she can learn from their mistakes. And yes, sometimes there are those writers who just don't have much experience with authoring, and their stories aren't as greatly written as the ones who take an advanced journalism class. But that just means that they can only get better, which _positive_ reinforcement usually helps with.  
And, if worst comes to worst, and if you find nothing good to say about what your reading—you hate the pairing, it's written horribly, they spell easy words wrong, the story is rushed, all that good stuff—than just don't review the story. I've read tons of fics that I totally hated (mostly because of the reasons above) so I just didn't review. Hey, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all, you know? It's just that simple, when you think about it.  
I once got a flame for this story from an anonymous reviewer (coward) who hated my story for all the wrong reasons. Firstly, this person hated the Phantom of the Opera movie that came out. I mean, if you decently read the first chapter, it said not to read it if you didn't like something about the Phantom-ish part of it. This person went on for like two or three long paragraphs saying how much the movie sucked, and then added as a short afterthought how much they hated my story (they seemed to hate the movie more). And I've seen many flames like that for other stories, and I find them needless and rude.  
I don't want to go against any people who write flames. Not at all. I just wish they could be a little nicer with going about with their criticism. And—everyone—if you hate the pairing, I highly doubt the author will change it just because you don't like it. But all I know is that it really brings a person down (I know it does me) to read how much someone hates their work. And I honestly don't expect to change any of it by writing this, I just felt like it needed to be said.

Anyways, I think I've had a long-enough break from writing, don't you think? (I can see you're glaring at me, but I did apologize…). So I assume some review answering should be in order:

* * *

_**Darkmoon44- **Thank you! I love to ever be referred to as creative, so you had just made my day with your review. Thanks! _

_**Volleyball Queen-** Thank you! I'm really glad you like! _

_**Sandra Yvette- **Oh, I know, I totally cannot wait until I write the next chapter or two! It's going to get exciting now! Yay!_

_**Blaze123- **heeheehee…although it sounds horribly irresponsible, I actually do have to blame school now…unless you want me to go on my infamous algebra rant (the main reason why I have absolutely NO TIME anymore), and I highly doubt anyone wants to hear that._

_**Valda- **Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it! Was my itty bitty (yeah right) section about flames sufficient? I hope I helped. Thanks for telling me about it, I wouldn't have done anything because I didn't have much initiative to. But I hoped we can stop at least SOME flamers out there. Some people can be so mean…_

_**Terra Strong- **Thanks! I hope I haven't been too late in updating this. Hope you like it!_

_**Nova Beam- **Which book did you read? Because I know that in Gaston Leroux's novel, Erik tried to force Christine to marry him, or else he'd kill everyone. Was that the one? If not then it was probably the Susan Kay novel. Either way, you're right, he DID try to force her to marry him, but yes, you're right again in saying that he didn't do that in the movie. _

_**Fan of this Fic- **thank you so much! POTO does have beautiful music…I think it's my favorite music yet…oh, so pretty. I hope you like the update (took me long enough, don't you think?)._

_**Mysterygirl- **haha…thank you. Actually, my homework (stupid STUPID algebra…) is exactly the reason why it's been so hard to update. So sorry. I'm glad you liked it!_

_**Swimmergirl642- **Don't worry, I knew what I was doing when I mixed up Andre and Firmin's lines. I did it on purpose. You see, sometimes the (Phantom's) script gives more lines to one or the other. I usually give what lines I thought suited the occasion (or the character) better, given the timeframe and what they said. So yeah, I knew I was switching lines every so often. At first I didn't want to. But I'm glad I did. I thought it made it sound a little better. _

_**Smart One- **Oh, I didn't know you had already seen it. That's okay. And, it SO doesn't bother me with how late you review. Because, honestly, it's pretty nice to think that you're done getting reviews, and then later on some random person sends you a review. It just feels nice. Yeah, Raul's name is spelled…well, like Raul. Lol. Oh yes, when he was under the cage, I SO couldn't breathe. I always get like that if someone's drowning in a movie. It's just so hard to watch! What's French Imersion? Are you learning French? If so, then that's pretty cool, for fifth grade!_

_**Tanaris- **Thank you! There'll be a chapter or two after this, so I'm not there yet!_

_**TTHPfan- **One of your favorite chapters? YAY! I've accomplished something! Oh my gosh, how was your trip? I really hope you had fun, I wish I could have gone! Funny that you say when your birthday is, because my friend Alexis has the same birthday as you do! So while you were livin' it up on your b-day, I was at a party for her!_

_**Ninjamonkey- **I know, I know, I knew that most people (mainly Christine/Phantom fans…sorry…) wouldn't have agreed with the chapter. But hey, as long as it wasn't identical to another story, it's fine with me. And yes, I agree that Christine loved the Phantom, but I believed that she loved him only as a friend. But that's just what I think, and it's only an opinion. Most people would agree with you. My opinion is definitely not what all my friends think. They're all convinced that the Phantom should have gotten her instead of Raul, so I know exactly what you mean. I'm glad you liked it anyway!_

_**Hanbags- **I'm SO SORRY! Please don't hate me, I really did try…but it got really really hard to get on the computer without getting distracted…oops. At least I was finally able to update this time!_

_**StakeMeSpike04- **HI! I'm glad you were able to go over my story and point out the differences. Most people wouldn't have done that, I think. Phantom is coming to St. Louis (the city I see all my musicals at) in July…right in time for my birthday! So I'm going to see it again then. I can't wait though! _

_**Strodgfrgf- **If you ever fulfilled that threat, I have only one thing to say to you…that would REALLY hurt…_

_**Green Gallant- **Sure, you can print it off (which could take awhile, let me tell you...) or save it on a disk. Just please don't do anything to it (like, plagiarism or anything else illegal, please). I know you said you wouldn't, but I just wan to be sure. I hope your sister likes it!_

_**Laurashrub- **Yes, tension is exactly what I was looking for! Muahahaha! I hope it was emotional, because, in my opinion, I think my emotional writing sucks. Badly. But, they say you're your own worst critic, so I guess I should just work harder on stuff like that. You get to sing "Masquerade"? YOU DIE NOW! How dare you! THIS is unfair…UNFAIR I TELL YOU! I actually wish you luck. I keep telling my friends in choir that if they sung a song like "Think of Me" or something, it wouldn't sound as great as it did in the real thing. But "Masquerade" was actually meant for a full chorus, so it'll probably sound AWESOME when you guys sing it. I hope you do well!_

_**Angel Saiyan 22- **Dangit! I DID write "witch" instead of "which"! Darn my computer and its stupid lack of spell-check! Uck. Sorry about that. I usually catch all those mediocre grammar problems. Hope I do better this time!_

_**GS Dragono- **Finally! Someone who understands the stress school can make upon your writing! But you haven't updated your story since the summer? You must be so much busier than I am. At least that made me feel better about not updating for so long!_

_**Jaina 12- **Oops, you told me not to take months to update…lol…ironic, isn't it? You'd think weekends would give you all this free time, but you never really realize how busy they are as well until they're already over. It's hard, it really is. I'm so happy you liked it!_

_**Soulless Warlock- **Thanks! And you're right, Point of No Return is one of Phantom's best songs. The lyrics are partially my favorite thing about it. Glad you liked it!_

I should start back up with the story again, shouldn't I…?

* * *

Kori's vision began to blur as she felt the numerous screams reverberate off her and echo across the auditorium. She stared at him, in utter bewilderment of what had just happened. She found that, even though her eyes were locked with his, she could not focus. Her lip quivered slightly as she saw, for the second time in her life, the true face of the Phantom.

His pale white skin almost matched that of his mask. Skin that had clearly never seen sunlight in over ten years. Scars clung to his cheeks and forehead; remnants of large gashes and cut wounds, signals of third degree burns, and marks of something deep crimson that she had never seen before. His cheekbones protruded from the face, like that of a skeletal creature.

As his eyes bored into her, those glittering black eyes that never changed from the moment the mask left him, she felt her knees tremble. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized what she had done. His eyes betrayed a hurt so horrible that she felt she could not stand. She had ruined him. Exploited him for what he really was. She tried to move, tried to find a way to validate her deed, but she could not stir. She watched in dumbfounded stillness as his tearful eyes slowly began to change.

Kori's limbs went numb as she stared, agape at that monstrous face. She was not frightened by his appearance, no, not anymore. The first time she saw it the image never ceased to leave her mind. That face had haunted her dreams, tortured her mind, no, she was far to used to it to be afraid of him now. It was what he could do to her now that she had officially betrayed him was what frightened her; it ripped her to her core, it was inevitable.

The tears leaked slowly from her eyes, they slurred her vision, but she could see it. There really was no going back. Her hand lost control of physical nerve, and the X'd mask slipped to the floor. She saw as his heart-wrenched face contorted into a twist of rage. Even though she had totally revealed him, she still remained completely helpless. She could not and wouldn't have been able to react to what would happen next.

Before her glossy eyes could retain focus, he lashed at her without warning. In the speed of lightning her arm was clutched within his hand. She couldn't fully register what he was doing, and shock had blinded her reflexes. The loss of circulation on her arm notified her of how hard his grasp was. Stifled pain seared into her arm as he gripped tighter.

With deadly agility he spun around; a knife was in his other hand. Kori panicked in his grip, squirming and pressing onto his arm that kept her trapped. His hold did not loosen. He then threw the knife towards the ceiling as Kori tried to cover her head in defense. She did not see where it hit; the screams were too loud. Then it clicked. The screams were getting louder. She spun her head around to look at him. His features revealed that he had done something crucial. And it was bad.

She immediately saw the source of panic. The new chandelier, alit in its fine glory, was falling. The center of the auditorium was in the midst of flight. Kori had no chance to cry out, for she suddenly felt the Phantom sweep his other arm under her legs and was now held bridal style in his arms.

Before her brain had enough stimuli to strike into common sense, she felt the floor sink from beneath them. Gravity struck at her body with all its force, and a shattering scream flew from her throat. She squeezed her emerald eyes shut, curled her legs into her stomach, and clung fast at her only source of stability, caring not who was holding her captive.

* * *

Richard leapt from his seat and ran toward the exit. He scanned the hall where the pandemonium of students erupted, searching for the one person who he knew could help him. He suddenly caught a glimpse of a black figure gliding towards him. He ran up to Raven and let his panic loose.

"Raven! Raven!" he cried, "Please, help! You know where she is!"

He looked back at the stage, where chaos had ensued. The chandelier was now a giant mass of shattered glass and gold. He looked beyond, where the empty stage had been strewn about with props when students had escaped the disaster.

"Please, Raven," his panicked stutter shook through his voice, "We need to find her, we have to…"

"I know where they are," she interjected. "But you have to follow me, you have to trust me."

"I know, I know!"

"And if I ask you to do something, no matter how odd it sounds, you have to trust that I know what I'm doing."

"What do you mean, Raven, this is serious! We don't have time for…"

"Just do it!"

Richard flinched. He had never heard Raven sound so nervous before. Before he could utter any word in response, he felt her cold hand clench around his wrist and she pulled him down the hallway. She turned down a hall that he had never noticed before. From here she opened a small door that was barely visible.

"Raven, what…?"

"Shut up!" she hissed.

Richard looked down the ghastly staircase that lay behind the hidden door.

"Come on, we have to hurry…"

Raven dragged him down the stairway and snapped the door shut. Before Richard could object to the gaping darkness that surrounded them, a flashlight flicked on in Raven's hand. He looked at her oddly.

"What?" her deadpanned tone rang through the air. "Don't you always carry a flashlight with you?"

"Uumm…not exactly…"

"Well, it's good one of us does," she said bitterly. "Follow me, and don't make _any_ sound."

"Easy for you to say," Richard said, a bit irritated with her coldness, "you're almost like a ghost yourself."

Raven made a wry smile, and turned around to face him, so that her face was etched with the shadow throughout.

"Uumm…not exactly…"

* * *

Kori lost all sense of time as she and the Phantom fell through the air, for she was in a state of blind terror that distorted any thought that flashed into her mind. Colors whirled, her stomach dropped, and she felt her body slam into midair as they abruptly landed on the rocky floor. For several lengthy moments she dangled limply in his arms, petrified, paralyzed from the lack of impact. Like a lifeless ragdoll she lay, wide-eyed, motionless in his tight grasp. She felt her ruby hair sweep the wet ground, but she did not move.

Reason flooded into her, memories flashed back, and realism inked into her senses. Where she was, who was holding her, and how she got here suddenly came to light. She felt her mind slowly come back into focus. As Kori tried to lift her head, she suddenly felt the arm that supported her legs slip from beneath her, as a warning for her to stabilize herself on her own. Her feet struck the ground, and she stumbled for balance. She hoisted herself up, breathing heavily, with her muscles aching from strain.

She looked around warily, and realized exactly where she was. The tunnel. The lake wasn't too far from here. Oh yes, he had planned this. Before more sense could register, the Phantom gripped her arm fast and held her other shoulder in his other hand. He pulled her down the tunnel; she could not see his face, for it was far too dark to see.

Into the clearing they came, where the dark waters mirrored the black cavern surrounding. The boat was there, waiting. In it was a torch, their only source of light.

He dragged her towards the shore and shoved her in. She gasped as her unprotected body made harsh contact with the cold interior. Looking up in horror, she could scarcely see the rage covered face that leered at her through the darkness. She curled into a ball on the bench she sat upon, praying that he wouldn't hurt her. She jumped as he angrily grabbed at the oar, and began to row them through. When he finally spoke, her blood curdled inside her.

"_**Down once more  
**__**To the dungeon of my black despair!  
**__**Down we plunge  
**_**_To the prison of my mind!"_**

His enraged voice echoed mercilessly off the walls of stone, where they all reverberated back to Kori, consuming her, piercing her skin.

"**_Down that path  
_**_**Into darkness deep as Hell!"**_

He screamed at her fragile form as she squirmed beneath his gaze. She did not want this to happen; she didn't want it to end up like it had. It wasn't supposed to go this way.

She jumped again as the boat roughly ran upon shore. They had arrived at his lair. She now had no control over what took place. Not here. This was his home. She could never escape now. He gracefully stepped out of the boat and grabbed her shoulders, shoving her onto the cold land. He spun her around to face him.

"_**Why, you ask,  
**__**Was I bound and chained  
**__**In this cold and dismal place?  
**__**Not for any mortal sin,  
**__**But the wickedness of my abhorrent face!**_

He shook her violently, causing her head to flail from side to side. She felt as if she could no longer see, her eyes burned, her body shuddered. She looked him in the eyes and saw no mercy there, no remorse, only hatred. Only hurt.

The Phantom suddenly went silent. Kori wondered for a split second what he was doing, and then realized what had caused his muteness. He was listening. Off in the far distance of the dark tunnels and slick tavern walls, a foreboding chant of a mob could be heard. From the sounds of it, it mainly consisted of police, students, and teachers, mainly men, but a few women, who could be heard. Their deadly words bounced off the caved barriers and could be heard almost vivildly:

"_Track down this murderer  
__He must be found!"  
_

Before she could listen any longer, she felt a violent tug on her arm by her captive. He drug her towards his lair, shaking her as he went.

"_**Hounded out by everyone,  
**__**Met with hatred everywhere!"**_

He yanked her up further, and she slipped. Her knee came close to scraping the ground, but he caught her. After supporting her up, he pushed her on.

"_**No kind word from anyone,  
**__**No compassion anywhere!"**_

He swung her arm around, forcing her to face him. He grabbed her neck and pushed her jaw upward. Candlelight pooled onto her tanned face and into her fearful eyes as he forced her to look at him. He yelled at her with a stifled cry of agony.

_**"Kori…Kori…"**_

His anger exhaled through his voice and his breathing began to stagger. His lips trembled and he clenched her throat tighter.

"_**Why…Why…?"

* * *

**_

Far above the two, Raven and Richard were feebly making their way down the dark, stony flight of steps. They had gone down very far, Richard could tell, for the walls were far damper than they had been when they first started out. The steps were slicker now, and the two had to be careful not to slip. The mob could be heard around them, but they were a good distance away from them.

"Come on, Dick," Raven said, "We want to find them before everyone else does. That would certainly cause more problems than we want."

"And remember what I told you," Raven's eyes stiffened as she turned her head to look at him, "Hand at the level of your eyes."

Several minutes later, Raven jumped abruptly, causing Richard to almost topple over. Raven gasped as a small group of rats scurried past them. Richard found this very strange for Raven, for he knew for a common fact: Raven was not afraid of rats. Something was making her jumpy, and if he knew Raven as well as he thought he did, he knew that he had much to fear if it made _her_ skittish. As another rat scuttled past them, he heard her cry out fearfully,

"_Your hand at the level of your eyes!"_

Richard flew his hand back up to his forehead, his musings had made him forget. He repeated her words as the full meaning began to sink in…

"…_At the level of your eyes…"_

With pending horror, he heard a soft distant repentance of his words. The mob softly sang out into the darkness.

"_Your hand at the level of your eyes…"_

At that moment Raven and Richard appeared upon a clearing. The lake was clearly visible from here.

"He lives across the lake, Richard," she said slowly, "This is as far as I go."

"Thanks Rae." As he turned towards the murky waters, he heard her voice loom over him.

"Richard…be careful. He's smarter than you think he is. He probably knows you're going to come."

"I know." He said, and looked down. "But I can't let him hurt her. Who knows what he'll do to her Raven! I need to do this."

"I know." And she disappeared up the stairwell once again, as her black figure lost itself into the darkness. Richard spun around and looked over the lake. With a deep breath, he plunged in.

Even though Richard neared Kori every minute, as did the impending mob. The tunnels vast walls were being filled with flashlights and angry voices. They marched through the underground, chanting angrily.

"_Track down this murderer,  
__He must be found!  
__Hunt out this animal,  
__Who runs to ground!  
__Too long he's preyed on us,  
__But now we know,  
__The Phantom of the Opera is there,  
__Deep down below…"_

The few amount of women who consisted of the mob were Kori's friends, Jinny being one of them. The little ballet girls gaped around their surroundings, shocked to the very core that Kori had been coming down here all this time. They looked about fearfully, but steadfast. They finally reached the lake, and all present took a step back in surprise. They weren't expecting this. They knew not how to pass it, for it was very deep. They looked to eachother and decided to find another way to the lair. Suddenly, a ghostly splash was heard across the lake, and ripples fled from side to shore. The girls, in their fear, cried out into the gaping dark.

"_He's here: the Phantom of the Opera…"

* * *

_

I know it was short, but I did warn you. I'm really sorry about the lack of update, I really am, and I'm going to try extra hard next time!


	22. Down Once More: Part 2

Hi again!

Thankfully, I've had a bit more free time than I did before (along with my getting a little less lazy…). So I'm back! Yay!

And look how short my author's not was!It's a very nice change, in my opinion.Okay, then…I'll just get back to the review answering.

_**Mlle. Opez- **Andrea! Hi! Oh yeah, you "found" me, surprisingly fast, might I add. I wasn't expecting for you to read my story so soon! But I'm really glad you like it so far! I told you that the beginning totally SUCKED. You could really tell how my writing improved within a year. And ha! You Spanish-French-and-English-speaking-person, you DID spell secrecy wrong! Lol. I suppose if I was brought up Spanish, English words would be a bit difficult for me, too. But next year, I really do want to read that French book you were going to lend me! I can't wait! See you in art class!_

_**Fan of this Fic- **You're welcome (for the acknowledging reviewers thing). I always loved it when writers would reply to my reviews, so I like returning the favor! I'm so happy you liked it! I'm going to be sad when this story ends, too, it's been so fun writing it!_

_**Darkmoon44- **Thank you! You're so nice! Your review made me feel extra special (don't know why, I guess you're just good at it), so thanks again!_

_**TTHPfan-** You actually thought of me while listening to Phantom music! I feel so honored! Well, I made you happy, I hope. You gave up junk food for Lent? I gave up ALL sweets (yes…cookies, cake, ice cream, candy, chocolate, sugary snacks, all of them…cries) and soda. This is my third year of giving these up, but I still get all the painful withdrawal symptoms. I'm glad your trip was fun! It sounded like you had like, the greatest time EVER. Do you know of my Hunchback of Notre Dame fetish? I'm guessing not. I LOVE Hunchback! So I totally envy you now! The last time I went to Disney World (which was a BLAST) was in the October of 2001 (sixth grade for me, I was really excited). That was seriously one of the best times of my life. _

_**Strodgfrgf- **I knew it was a joke…but it was so funny to hear. Quite a creative threat, if you ask me…teehee._

_**Swimmergirl642- **Yay! You actually read the message! I find it very impressing when someone doesn't know why something's going on, so they look into it. That's what I was hoping would happen when my updating took so long. I'm glad it worked on some people! Oh, I don't get mad when people don't start reading until later chapters. It's usually much easier that way for most readers. I completely understand! As long as it's liked, I don't mind. To know what I think on the Christine/Phantom/Raul love triangle issue (aka: who she should be with) I have it said in my profile under: "Pairings I Like" and then there's a section for POTO. I'm quite controversial when it comes to who Christine likes better. All my friends are strict Phanton/Christine fans, so you can't say I don't know why he should get her. Lol. I'm happy you liked the last chapter!_

_**Valda- **Yes, sadly, my story's almost over. I really don't want it to end, either. It's so fun to write, and I just love POTO, it just never grows old! I'm glad I was able to help with the flaming issue. I just love "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again". It's so so pretty! Actually, a friend of mine just sang that song for her music exam! Weird, huh? I love hitting high notes too, that's my favorite part of being a Soprano! And I'm told I have an extremely operatic voice, so that's a fun bonus!_

_**Hanbags- **Hello again! I thought you'd be pleased with my update! Thank you!_

_**GS Dragono- **Your welcome (for the 'reassurance' chapter). You thought I had…gasps…given up! Oh, how dare thee! I would never give up on writing! Hee hee. I love it too much to just quit (and besides the fact that I'm ALMOST done with it, I mean, come on, I would be a complete idiot to quit now). But my homework has been getting much easier to bear! But I must say, the giant pencil remark had me rolling on the floor laughing!_

_**Laurashrub- **I knew you would love to sing it, anyone would. Ah, how I wish I could…but no, my choir gets stuck with all the slow songs because they're "just SO pretty". And we get a whole lot of a capella songs too. And spirituals. WHY don't we use any from musicals? WHY? Ahem…anyways, I didn't know that you got to see the production! I'm so happy for you! It certainly is amazing, isn't it? When did you see it? I'm going to be seeing it this summer, actually, in the middle of June. My friends and I are going to buy our tickets early, and we basically can choose whatever seats we want, if we get them early enough. And yes, I know that Steven's dead. I didn't exactly want to emphasize on that in the last chapter, because there would be too many subjects and emotions going on at once, and the total switch from one to another (at least the way my plot is going) would be…choppy, I think. So I put his death at the beginning of this chapter instead. The whole "Vic and Gar are ruined" thing I left out altogether. They just got swept up with the crowd. _

Back to the story now…

* * *

In the dark hallway of Jump City High, a slapping of metal echoed throughout as an unknown door violently flew open. Raven swung her head left and right, sifting her dark eyes up and down the hallway. Half of the school's power had gone out. The hallway in which she stood had been put into complete darkness. She tightened her grip on the flashlight, springing its rays before her. She cautiously made her way back to the auditorium, her sharp heels making a vibrant click with each of her quickened steps.

Upon reaching the hall nearest the auditorium, where people still ran about, some of which who didn't know what to do. She found Gar alone.

"What's going on?" she asked lowly.

The junior's eyes widened upon seeing her.

"Rae! Thank God," he heaved, "I had no idea where you were! Oh, God…"

"You were," Raven mouthed, "worried? About me?"

"I…uh…well," Gar shifted his eyes quickly, "that's not the point, okay, the entire show is a disaster! We're ruined, Raven!"

"Where's Victor?" She said, darting her eyes about, "He was supposed to be with you."

"I totally lost him! First everyone started screaming, and then this gi-normous group of people started going off somewhere, and Vic went with them. They sounded really mad…"

"Why didn't you follow him? It's safer than just standing in the middle of this mess alone…"

"Safer?" Gar cocked an eyebrow.

"Is there something you know about that we don't, Raven?"

"No." she flattened her voice warily. "But…do you have any idea what's going on?"

He changed his features, as if he had just then remembered why chaos surrounded them.

"But Raven, nobody knows what's going on! The stars of the play fell through a giant hole in the floor, the chandelier is kibble, and everybody's going crazy! And Rae" he stuttered, "Steven's…missing."

"Missing?" Raven gulped, though her deadpanned tone held a ring of panic.

"Some've the crew have tried looking for him, since, y'know, we kind of figured out that the dude playing Don Juan _totally_ wasn't Steven, and…"

"And what?"

"And…we can't find any traces of him. None. Zip."

Raven, seemed to lose insight that anyone else existed at that moment. She stared into space, eyes wide; she looked lost in her own thoughts. Gar looked at her strangely. As he was about to wave his arm in front of her face, she snatched it in mid air. She blinked and looked toward the auditorium doors.

"Follow me." She said shortly. Gar had no other choice but to comply.

She dragged him down the red aisles, around the shattered chandelier, and up towards the stage. She walked up the side steps that led to the stage platform, and draped behind the velvety curtain, slipping backstage through stage left. Gar would have protested if he hadn't felt so content in her grip. To his disappointment, she released her hold on his arm, and beckoned him to follow her further.

Raven looked around the dark backstage, eyeing every nook, cranny and corner there was. She drew out her flashlight and as she held it up, it flickered on.

"How did you…" Gar began to stutter.

"Shhh!" she whispered viciously.

She drew the light across the floor, moving it back and forth as they gazed about, looking for any remnants of the boy.Suddenly, a high ear-splitting scream flew from the floors below. It was Kiona's voice.

"No..." Raven whispered.

"Come on!" she said shakily. She ran down the steps with an agility unknown to Gar as he leapt after her.

They flew down the steps, down further and further. There were two levels below the auditorium, and the scream had come from the very bottom, in the boiler room. Upon finally reaching the end of the winding stairwell Raven swung into the door that stood in their way, blasting it open.

The room was dark. Not all of its electricity had gone out, but a few lights flickered dimly in the distant areas of the room. The entire place had an eerie orangish-red tint to it, with black markings on the walls, masses of dried paint strewn about; the black furnace entangling itself across the dirty walls. Any student would tell you it was haunted, no matter how commonly it was used.

Raven and Gar spilled into the negative room, and saw Kiona hunched over something in a far corner. Her dress was ripped, her hair was a giant black mess, and she held something feebly in her arms, which she was shaking strangely. She let out a low cry, as tears spilled down her face.

"Oh my God…" Gar gasped.

"No. This can't be happening. No." Gar shook his head at Raven, "He's not…"

"Steven…" Kiona sobbed sadly, "No…why...? Steven…"

"Yes." Raven stuttered, almost choking on her words, "he is."

"Oh my God…" Gar breathed.

The two ran over to Kiona, to find the missing boy held limply in her arms. Raven gasped and Gar shuddered upon what they saw.

A rough twined rope was tied around his neck. His skin was white, his fingertips were purple. His lifeless eyes were wide open, and had rolled to the back of his head. His ginger hair was brittle, faded. Blood dripped venomously from his open mouth and trailed onto his white shirt.

Kiona continued to shake him awkwardly, crying into his hair, her mind slipping from normality. Raven could not stop the tear that slid down her pale cheek. She approached the girl and her lost.

"Kiona," she whispered.

Kiona snapped her head up, her bloodshot eyes drained into the newcomers. She tried to speak.

"He's…he's…"

"Kiona," Raven choked, "you have to come with us. We need to take his body to the authorities…"

"Who did this?" she shook with sobs, "Who has done this to him?"

"Kiona, we need to get him to a stretcher or…something. We need to bring him upstairs…"

"Who has done this to him?" she wailed, "Who?"

Hysteria seemed to be barely restraining itself from her. She leaned on the edge of it, threatening to collide. When Raven didn't respond, Kiona gulped back her tears for a split second and yelled at her bitterly.

"I know you know, don't act like you don't!"

Raven said nothing. She looked at Steven, then back at the senior.

"Kiona, listen to me, we need help. We need to get him out of here; we need to get _you _out of here…"

Before Raven could finish, Kiona's sense abandoned her. The confused hysteria flooded, her tears fell, and she let go of her boyfriend. She stood up and rushed upon Gar.

"You!" she shrieked, "It's all your fault!" she tried to attack him, but Raven held her back.

"How could you let this happen?" she cried furiously, "Both of you! It's all your fault that he's dead!" she screamed, "He's dead!"

She suddenly stopped thrashing at Gar, and Raven loosened her hold. Kiona's energy level dropped, almost leaving her without movement. Her eyes dropped to the floor, back to where the boy lay. Raven let go of her, and Kiona dropped to the stone floor. She slumped over Steven's body, the sobs racking her system.

"He's dead…" she cried, getting softer with every word.

"He's dead…"

Raven didn't move. Gar stood stiff behind her. Minutes seemed hours, as the two let her cry, terrified to touch her. After a few minutes, Raven had seen a difference in her persona after her outburst. The life had seemed to leave her, as well as the boy she loved. She sat motionless; and from the sound of it, she had even stopped crying.

Raven approached her, and set a cold hand on her shoulder. The heart-wrenched girl looked up at Raven, as the tears threatened to return.

"We have to…" Raven whispered.

Kiona merely nodded. She was tired of fighting. To Raven, she had seemingly given up trying. She stood up, and let Raven and Gar gingerly pick up Steven's body, as the three slowly ascended the blackened stairway, darkness looming within and throughout them.

* * *

Far below the surface, Kori had been left alone temporarily. The Phantom had disappeared behind his draped and candlelit barricade, and she had been alone for several minutes before getting the inkling of an instinct that something was wrong. She had decided long ago that this had been planned, but what the plan exactly was; that was what made her nervous. His absence had thus far only increased her worry, for she was in no place to be making any sort of escape.

During her time alone she had been able to stabilize her thoughts about him. Fear was still her dominating emotion, but a growing anger with his actions gave her a small amount of courage to be able to face him when he returned. She decided to talk to him with a more demanding air; to state then and there that he would not win her over as easy. She practiced in her mind how she would act, what to say, and how to say it.

Before she could sort out how this would end up, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, a little shakier than she wished she had. He held two things in his hand: One was something small, clutched in between his fingers, she could not see it. He quickly stowed it away in his pocket. The other was a wedding veil.

Kori abruptly stumbled to her feet. He had surprised her, but upon catching a glimpse of the veil, she knew his intention; and it lit a flame inside her that threatened to lash. She would never marry him, especially after what he did. He was a murderer. She would not forgive him for that. Stealing, deceiving, scaring people, she could even look past him kidnapping her. But murder was something she would never forgive. She was just beginning to get close to Steven, to actually see him as a person and as a friend. But now she'll never know him, and tears welled in her eyes as she thought of how long it would take her sister to heal. No, she would not. She would not marry him. Never. Her anger rose, but she held it in. She approached him slowly, but carefully, with her voice deathly low.

"_Have you gorged yourself, at last,  
__In your lust for blood?"_

He did not look at her, as if he didn't want to face what she was asking of him. He did not look ashamed, nor did he seem to regret anything he had done up to this point. His barriers were gone, the mask wasn't needed now. He did not reply.

This unnerved Kori. Did this mean that he was prepared to kill again, merely to forsake someone who was 'in his way'? She felt her veins suddenly freeze. What was he going to do with her, if she did not comply? What would he do if she did?

"_Am I now to be prey  
__To your lust for flesh?"_

Her voice shook, her body quivered. From the minute she had begun practicing for Don Juan, she had been afraid that rape would be his intention. She blocked it out as much as she could, but now her situation proved that if he would, she could do nothing to stop him. She felt her tearful eyes sear with blurs as she looked away from him. Even though she feared it, she knew he was capable. Very capable. And if anyone would attempt to save her from such a thing, he would kill them. And he would feel no remorse.

She looked back up to see him staring at her dead on. She was startled, but did not jump. He suddenly spoke, his voice ringing coldly from his throat.

"_**That fate which condemns me  
**__**To wallow in blood,  
**__**Has also denied me  
**__**The joys of the flesh…"**_

The coldness in his breath softened, but did not yield, as he reached out to stroke her neck. She shrunk from his touch, backing away by only a step, but enough to show him her silent defiance. He, in action, tried to silently reconcile her anger by calming himself down. He touched her shoulder gently, moving her closer to him.

"_**This face,  
**__**The infection,  
**__**Which poisons our love…"**_

She shoved her shoulder out of his light grasp and turned away from him. After stepping a few feet forward and giving him a cold shoulder, he realized that she wasn't going to be won over easily. Gentleness would bring her back to reason, back to affection. He knew his tone was apologetic, and he hoped she would know it too. With her back to him, he slowly stepped up to her, still speaking softly.

"_**This face,  
**__**Which earned  
**__**A mother's fear and loathing…  
**__**A mask,  
**__**My first  
**__**Unfeeling scrap of clothing…"**_

She turned her head slightly around to look at him, but quickly spun it back around to pout in her general direction. She now fiercely felt the strength she needed to refuse him.

The Phantom's expression hardened into the one that had brought them here. The furious and impatient man who threatened to kill returned and he roughly grabbed her shoulder with one hand. With the other he yanked the veil onto her fragile head, letting the sheer cloth spill over her vibrant red locks, which had long lost its tight curl.

"_**Pity comes too late,"**_

Kori's eyes widened in fear as she felt the veil on her head. As fear began to settle in her nerves she started to struggle. But before she could move, he roughly spun her around to face him.

"_**Turn around  
**__**And face your fate:"**_

He pushed her backwards before her back made hard contact with a cold stone wall.

"_**An eternity of this"**_

Holding onto her shoulders, he raised her body upward, lifting her off the ground. He bent his right knee against the wall beneath her, and lifted her high above him. Her only support beneath was to lean her knee against his and to let her other leg dangle above the ground. Panic gripped at her stomach as she shivered at the coldness of the stone behind her. Her head was not supported, so it hung downward, into direct view of the Phantom's face. Her hair fell onto one side as her drooped head stared avidly, knowingly, in his direction.

He shook her shoulders angrily, causing her balance to weaken all the more, and her knee's dependence on his to greaten. His glistening eyes were alit with what Kori could only identify with madness. But what frightened her was that he wasn't mad; he knew exactly what he was doing. A stifled tear ran down her cheek and onto the dull floor. He disregarded it. He forced her to look him in the eye, and she could hardly do it.

"…_**Before your eyes…"**_

With the small amount of courage that she possessed, Kori wildly collected her emotions together, and stiffened her face into one just as cold as his. The stone seemed to slip behind her, but she remained above the ground, his tightened grip did not falter. He was waiting for a response, and she was ready to give it. She hung her head down, and her eyes ran cold. She stared into his orbs like they were a black void, as if she had been chained to the wall by his grasp. With all the strength she owned, the trembling girl looked down at the man before her, who had held her captive for years.

"_This haunted face  
__Holds no horror  
__For me now…  
__It's in your soul  
__That the true distortion lies…"_

She said no more. Her eyes no longer expressed her fear. They showed only sadness, distance, betrayal. She stared him down as he did her. His expression had not changed. The same hurt fury inked through his eyes and into her heart, stinging it with an intensity that made her squirm. Suddenly, a whisper, no louder than a soft wave of water, enveloped from his lips.

"_**Wait…"**_

Suddenly his face changed. He had seemed to slightly calm in the split second that their eye contact had broken. He dropped his deadly hold on that of the wall, gracefully gliding her body back down to the ground. He looked her in the eye again, but this time a mischievous look played upon the windows of his soul. He deepened his gaze, then his lips quirked upward, into a slight sly smile.

"_**I think, my dear,  
**__**We have a guest…"

* * *

**_

Yay! Aren't you glad I was so quick in updating? Aren't you? Okay, okay, this chapter wasn't uber long, but, we all know it was longer than the last one!


	23. Down Once More: Part 3

Hi again!

Sorry, I went on another hiatus. Finals were completely messing up my plans. Although I'm happy to say that I did fairly well as far as maintaining my original grades. But I still have a stupid "C" in Chemistry. Ugh. I loathe that class. Thank God it's over. I hated Chem so badly, let's just say I welcome Physics with open arms. I still can't believe I'm going to be a _junior_. I feel so old! If someone would even mention the term 'upper-classman' to me, I'd just sit there and say, "Who?". It's so odd, I can't get over it! Well, at least summer's here! Halleluiah!

Okay, I'm going to say this one more time…I'm gonna see the Phantom at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis on June 15! AAAH! Mad phan obsessiveness! Anyways, yeah, it's convenient living really close to St. Louis, 'cause I get to go to see musicals all the time! Weee!

I don't know if I've said this before, and if I have, I honestly don't care. I think I'm going to turn this into an announcement as well, so here goes: I'M GOING TO ITALY! Yes, that wonderful country (_in Europe_) that's shaped like a boot! Oh yes! I'm leaving with the art department at my school, and we're mainly going to see all the museums, monuments, and all that other wonderfully historical crap. And I actually like the historical crap. So that's even better! I'm going to be there for ten days, during which we shall be visiting the following cities: Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan (SHOPPPING!), Tuscany, and Pompeii. I'm leaving on June 20th, so that'll be a very VERY good excuse for not updating. I just felt like saying that. Sorry for the outburst. Teehee…

Anyways, I have officially made up my mind to completely FINISH this story by the end of the summer. My original goal was the end of the school year…and…that didn't happen. Sooo, I shall fervently try my best to finish the rest of it. And I'm thinking that, including this chapter, I'm going to have two more chapters of the story left. So I guess that means I have to stop my bad habit of procrastination.

**_Smart One_- **_I tried looking for your story, but I couldn't find it! I'll try again, maybe I've been looking it up wrong. What's the name of the story? Maybe I could find it easier that way. I hope I get to read it! It sounds really interesting._

_**EarthboundAngel- **You're seeing the play in St. Louis too! That's so cool! Are you on vacation or something, or do you just live around here, like I do? Wow, what a small world. And this will be your first time seeing it? Oh, you'll love it! I'm seeing the production on the 15th of June (because on the 20th I'm leaving for Italy)._

_**Romanceluver95- **wow, I'm so happy you liked it so much! Your review made me feel extra special, and it just made my day! I love reviewers like you!_

_**Blaze123- **Well, I updated…sorry it wasn't very soon, though! _

_**Samuel L. Muthafuggin Frollo- **Trust me, I know all to well what it's like to read a story in a genre that I know nothing about, and still love it. I'm so glad you liked mine, though! And I thought it so nice of you to say I had a diverse vocabulary! . Those things just make my day! And coming from you, I find that a high flattery. Thank you so much for reading it!_

_**GS Dragono-** You had the flu! Well, generally speaking, that was quite a long time ago, but I'm so sorry! Flues are simply horrible, I hate them with a fiery passion! They just make you feel so icky. And I hate feeling icky. I'm glad you're better, though. Thank you for your nice words, they really do make me smile like an idiot. _

_**D-I-WaRrIa- **hi there! I haven't heard from you in awhile! Oh, I'm so glad you think it's balanced. A lot of the time, during different scenes, I get totally wrapped up in either TT or POTO, and think to myself that it seems way too much like one or the other. But your review helped relieve me of that worry. Thank you! And yes, I did intend to Americanize it a little, mainly because of the whole High School scenario. And I'm not very good at portraying what happens in European high schools…heehee. Well, I'm glad it LOOKS like I have a lot of time on my hands (to research and whatnot) but it's quite the opposite. I kind of learn as I go, but it always seems like when I tell people what I learn they do the whole "Whoa, it would have taken me so long to figure that out!". But I'm really flattered that a writer such as yourself (whose works I'm quite a fan of) would like mine! I hope you like the update!_

_**Fan of This Fic-** that's such a cool name, come to think of it. Do you use that pen-name for reviewing everything you read? Either way, I think it was a creative idea. Anyways, I'm really glad you liked the last chapter. Your reviews are nice because they reassure me that I'm not making this thing a total splat! Thank you!_

_**Sandra Yvette- **I felt really bad for Kiona too (even though I did write it), I just got that sad feeling that you get when you're writing something death-related, you know? Well, glad you liked it, and I hope you enjoy the next chappie!_

_**Valda- **You never cease to make me laugh! And I do think I'm lucky you know how it ends, it probably wouldn't be too pretty for me to make you wait that long if you didn't know the ending…lol. I hope you did well on your Les Miserables medley. I wish my choir would do that sometime! We have the music, it's just that the darn seniors from last year got to sing it, and now the rest of us want a turn! Anyways, I'll make sure to check out some of your writing soon, I'm sure it's full of Starfire/Red X hotness!_

_**Swimmergirl642- **Oh, your poll didn't bore me at all! I absolutely LOVE reading those, simply because they show so much information about the other person's personality, and I always feel like I know them better that way. They're not just a reviewer anymore, you finally get to see their opinions and whatnot. I'm really glad you liked it, and I was hoping someone would take a liking to the little BB/Rae moments I threw in!_

_**Strodgfrgf- **Yes, and to compensate for that extremely quick update I did last time, I now had to make an extremely slow update this time! No, not really, but that's kind of how it seems. Glad you liked, and I hope you like the new chapter!_

_**TTHPfan-** Yes, sad to say, my story will definitely be ending soon. But with each chapter, I've been elongating the climax more and more, so I'm thinking, after this chapter, there will be two more. I think. It's very subject to change. I just can't write super long chapters, it would take me even longer than I need to update with my short ones! You love Hunchback too! Finally, someone who understands! And I am commanding you: read the book! It's so beautiful, and a little hard to understand (just like the Phantom book) but so worth the read. I am warning you though, that Hunchback the book is far different than the movie. I could go on an endless list of why that is so. But yeah, hope you like the update!_

_**Laurashrub- **I'm so happy you liked how Steven's death was handled! And I'm glad you got to see Kiona as a real person, as well, that was my goal. And with the mask thing, I like to make things a little less usual than the musical, but not by much. Little tweaks like that is what I love to do with this to make it my own, you know? I'll be so sad when this story's over! cries. Anyway, thank you, glad you liked!_

_**Hanbags- **Yeah, the fast update was a bit of a one-time thing, as we can all see…but the main point is that I have continued, and finally, might I add. I'm a horrible procrastinator, it's not even funny. Happy you liked it!_

_**Slade's Downfall-** Hey there! Haven't heard from you in awhile! Well, I must say I found it immensely funny that I could catch someone on that cliffhanger! It's so fun to do! And I'm probably going to drag this out as much as I can, teehee. I'll probably have one or two more chapters to the story left (after this one) so I suppose that would be a fair estimate for you. Glad you liked!_

_**The One and Only- **I don't know if you'll see this, Andrea, but I'm glad you liked "Tightening Tensions". I didn't expect you to read it, and you're right, it doesn't seem like something I would write. But you know how many personas I have…muahahaha…and by the way, I AM NOT A BABOON! Hahaha, have a great summer, Andrea!_

Okay, back to the overly prolonged story…

* * *

Kori froze. She immediately felt ill, and her face went deathly white. Her skin crawled and her insides iced over as she heard those words:

"_Wait, I think my dear, we have a guest…"_

A guest…That could only mean…

"Oh no," she whimpered.

Not Richard, no, he couldn't have come all the way down here! He should have left her, he should have stayed. She should have expected this, that he would search for her. He was overly protective of her, and for that she was grateful. But now he had gone too far, he should have left better well alone, for she was as good as dead. Now in the hands of this murderer, she no longer felt like living. Stupid Richard! Leave it to a man to decide what was best for her own protection, whilst on the way to getting himself killed. But how on earth would he have known how to…?

"Raven…" she stuttered under her breath. No, this couldn't be happening. Raven was her friend; she wouldn't have sent Richard down here, to only welcome eminent death…

Her panicked thoughts were cut short when she heard a splashing sound, emitting not from the mouth of the rocky cave, but by the opposite side, where another entrance had always been. Apparently Richard had found the quote 'back door' route of the tunnels, which had a long barred gate that separated any from coming through.

She saw him at the other entrance, and her stomach churned. She would have given her very life for him to be anywhere but at the mercy of this masked man. And he had gone and done just that. Oh, how bravery can come to bite you in the face…

Before she could gather her emotions, the Phantom, who still held her tightly in his grasp, spoke.

"_**Sir, this is indeed an unparalleled delight!"**_

He turned around to face Richard and jerked Kori's left arm with him, creating an "Eeep!" to escape her throat. His grip was fierce, as was his motive. She tagged weakly behind him, hoping that he wouldn't approach her boyfriend.

"**_I had rather hoped that you would come…"_**

He pulled on her arm yet again, so that she swung against his side from behind him, drawing her close. She tried to retaliate at this, seeing as his grip was tightening. She could feel an impending bruise beginning to form. She raggedly tried to push him back, but to no avail. He only drew her closer to his side.

"**_And now, my wish comes true,  
_**_**You have truly made my night!"**_

The look on Richard's face was a mixture of pure rage and helpless fear. She could see the panic in his eyes. Panic for her. He reached past the bars, groping about them for entry, and yelled pleadingly at the ghost.

"_Free her!  
__Do what you like,  
__Only free her!  
__Have you no pity?"_

The specter turned wickedly to his captive, and giving her a snide smile, responded.

"_**Your lover makes a passionate plea…"**_

For a reason unknown to Richard, a wild look entangled her eye. With his haunting glance boring through her, she quickly yelled back to him, without turning away from the Phantom's face. Helplessness inked from her soft voice, almost ripping him apart.

"_Please, Richard, it's useless…"_

Richard's heart wrenched, it was torture to see the girl he cared for being used in such a way.

"_I love her!  
__Does that mean nothing?  
__I love her!  
__Show some compassion!"_

As quick as his mocking tone had come, it vanished. In its place stood the man who he was known to be; the killer, the pained artist. He lashed out at Richard, with Kori still in hand.

"_**The world showed no compassion to me!"**_

His anger was terrifying, but Richard did not falter. He no longer cared whether he lived or died, he needed to see his Kori again.

"_Kori…Kori…  
__Let me see her…"_

The sarcastic and mocking Phantom returned, swiping Kori's arm out of his hold. With a hateful glare, he gave a few feet distance from her, as to dryly allow Richard see her.

"_**Be my guest, sir…"**_

He raised the gate, and Richard staggered gratefully through. He splashed noisily through the cold waters, and cared not for his personal comfort. He did not get very far, though, before he heard the Phantom's voice eerily mutter something to him. It was dripping with icy venom, soft and full of the foreboding that Richard barely noticed.

"_**Richard, I bid you welcome!  
**__**Did you think that I would harm her?  
**__**Why should I make her pay  
**__**For the sins which are yours?"**_

Before Richard had a chance to move any further, the specter pounced upon him, his 'punjab lasso' held distinctly in hand. He struck out at Richard, punching him deep into his gut. Richard let out a grunt of pain, and slightly doubled over. The Phantom used this opportunity to wrap the deadly cord around Richard's white neck. And upon fastening it to him, he briskly shoved the boy off him, and the rope continued to hang upward in midair, all the while threatening to snap his neck. The ghost bent over Richard's face and yelled, taunting him.

"_**Where's your motorcycle now?"**_

He viciously grabbed Richard's right arm, and yanked it upward, as to mockingly hold it to his eye-level.

"_**Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes!"**_

The Phantom raised his arm, and the suspended rope stiffened. Richard gasped as the rope tightened. Stifled breaths and staggered yells vainly tried to leave Richard's mouth, but his air supply was being shortened by the minute. He squeezed his eyes shut, to try and control his breathing pattern, then flew them open again to glare at the now unmasked Phantom. Although shaking with fear and rage, he said nothing, hoping not to endanger his breath support any more than he could. The Phantom's inhuman gaze switched to Kori, as he continued to taunt him.

"_**No one can save you now—  
**__**Except perhaps Kori…"**_

With the agility of lightning, he sprang from his spot where Richard stood. He then came upon Kori with immense force and quick movement. He grabbed her arms, shoved her to the stoned floor, and tried to hold her still beneath him. She struggled wildly, thrashing at his face, kicking whenever she could. He held her a little above the ground, shaking her into subduing. Through her struggles, he managed to lock her gaze. His caring side had seemed to vanish; all that remained was his hate and a need for control.

"_**Start a new life with me,"**_

He finally became successful with pinning her to the floor. The jagged ground cut painfully with her back, and she held back her flicker of hurt. He then straddled her with his legs, as to prevent her from pushing him away. He brought his head down upon her neck, loosely touching his lips to her skin. He suddenly put pressure on the spot, viciously rolling his face across the nape of her neck. She panicked at this, terrified of his brash action, and couldn't stifle the pained squeal that emitted from her lips. She turned her head from side to side, wordlessly pleading for him to stop. He fastened her wrists to the ground with his fists, and pinned her legs beneath him, proving her immovable.

"_**Buy his freedom with your love,"**_

She looked at him in horror, prepared for the worst, when he rapidly tightened his grip on her wrists and thrust her up from the ground. He picked himself up as well, and instead stood in a kneeling position. He dragged her to him, and swung her around so that her back faced him, and snaked one vice-like arm around her waist, and held her neck in the other. He rammed her body closer to him, clutched her angrily, and pointed to the on looking Richard.

"_**Refuse me and you send your lover to his death!"**_

He took both her arms in his grasp, and held her near, far too near. Tears began to pour down her tan cheeks, which had now gone pale. She was trapped. She had no option, no choice. Richard was going to die at her expense. The tears leaked down her face as she tried to fight back. He brought her head closer to his and hissed dementedly into her ear, causing her to flinch in pain.

"_**This is the choice!"**_

He shook her furiously, hovering her limp body above the ground. She stared at the rocky floor as it shook beneath her gaze. Her forehead took a pressured effect, and she felt extremely light-headed. Her tears fell from where he held her, and her back racked with soft sobs. He finally shook her one last time, his body overpowering her from behind. His being shook, his hot breath flew mercilessly through her ears, and he screamed.

"**_This is the Point of No Return!"

* * *

_**

It's getting kinda angsty, I think. Well, that's just my opinion. Yeah, this chapter was disgustingly short (sorry about that), but I had to make sure that I got at least one chapter in before I left for Italy. Teehee. It's fun saying that. I'm sorry if I sound completely ludicrous, I just haven't been out of the country before. This will take awhile to get over…I'll try to update as soon as I can, but there's no telling how long it'll take me, with this trip and all. And my horrid habit of procrastination. I'm going to blame it on that for as long as I can. Hope it was long enough!


	24. Down Once More: Part 4

Hi!

Do I _want _to check and see how long it's been since I updated? Oh, I just found it. And hey! I updated last on June 6 (aka 6-6-06). Now I feel reluctantly lucky…

ITALY! Holy mother of cheese and crackers…I went to flipping ITALY! It was totally awesome, seriously it was. My ultimate favorite city was Venice. Hands down. I also got to go on a gondola ride with the **_sexiest_** gondolier ever! His name was Adrian. sigh. He was so pretty…

But yeah, I took home a rock from Pompeii (cough without permission cough), as did the rest of my friends. We went shopping galore. Oh yes we did. I actually must confess that I bought more souvenirs for my friends and family than I did for myself. Heh. Ironic, is it not? I also used up nine rolls of film (three of which were black 'n white films…I took those in Rome and Pompeii).

My only complaint was that…I DIDN'T GET TO SHOP IN MILAN! Oh, the pain, the indescribable anguish that I suffered from that fateful night! It's the shopping capital of the WORLD, and I didn't get to shop there! In other words, Milan was our first stop, and we arrived late, so we didn't get the opportunity to shop until 9:30 p.m. And all the stores closed at 9:00. We left the next morning for Verona. I was so hurt. And if I may quote Capt. Jack Sparrow from POTC 2, I felt "Sullied and unusual".

But, oh gosh, it would take literally FOREVER if I talked about Italy for very long. These are just the first things that came to mind. There's SO much more, (I was there for nine days), but it was take waaaaay to long to say all I did. All the cities I visited are listed in my previous chapter. But along with those cities I visited Assisi and Verona (Romeo and Juliet! YAY!).

Oh yeah, and I have yet another excuse for lack of chapters. I OFFICIALLY BLAME MY CURRENT ABSENCE ON THE CURSED WEBSITE OF…MySpace. I'm sorry. It really is addictive. I simply cannot get off the wretched thing. And I realize my problem, I can successfully say I am not in denial. But according to this little quiz thinger (an actual quiz thinger that was specifically named "Are you addicted to myspace?") I am only 56 addicted. -- I must find a way to cure myself before I become a computer controlled blob of wide eyes…Anyhoodle…

I also went to Florida again (for those of you who recognize that a year ago, while I was still writing this fic, I went to Florida). I got back about a month ago. I went to Tallahassee again, but this time for a family reunion. Then I went to Destin. Ah, Destin! The best beach I've been to yet! (And, for someone who lives in Illinois, I've been to lots of beaches). I took home some sand from there, and put it in a jar, so now I can run around squealing, "I've got a jar of diiiirt! I've got a jar of diiiirt!". Dang I love Pirates of the Carribbean! That second movie was AWESOME!

_**Lover-BBxRAE-lover- **Even when you messaged me back, the site you wanted me to visit didn't show up. Sorry, it must have been my computer, it can do stupid things. Very stupid things. I do hope you liked the story and all…did you read it? You reviewed for chapter one, so I'm guessing you didn't. Ah well, I suppose you just really want Teen Titans to stay on the air. Well, I hope you get around to reading my story sometime!_

_**Chocochip2000-** Hey, thanks, I'm quite relieved that you found it suspenseful. Somehow I never get any emotion and/or creativity out of my writing. I'm really glad you liked it!_

_**I am no one and I stand alone-** You're Blaze123, right? Good. You kinda confused me there, with the name switch. I get easily confuzzled with little things like that. POTO is your favorite movie too? Well, I don't know if it's my fav of all time (considering, you know, Lord of the Rings has to come to a very close tie), but it's way up on my "best movies ever" list. I'm happy I was able to help you learn the parts of the songs you didn't know (meaning-wise, of course)!_

_**Strodgfrgf-** I'm happy you "lurved" the chapter! Sorry, I've always thought the word "lurve" was so cute. . You haven't been out of the country either? Thank goodness I'm not alone!_

_**Valda- **Okay, in Britain, you graduate at SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE! What the heck! I'm going to be turning sixteen in July; that would have been me graduating as well! Phew, so glad I don't live in Britain, I wouldn't last two days on my own! I still have a very fair share of growing up to do, I'll just say. It costs 120 pounds to see POTO where you are? Daaaaaaang. My tickets cost fifty dollars (but I don't know what a dollar is equivalent to in pounds, so I may just be saying it completely wrong). Oh, I can't wait to read your new one-shot! Glad you thought the chapter was so intense! Teehee._

_**Swimmergirl642- **You don't get finals when you're home-schooled? NOT FAIR! Come to think of it, one of my friends just graduated from high school (well, it's not technically high school, since she's at home), and she's been home-schooled all her life. You turned fifteen already? Yay for you! I turn sixteen in July, so technically you're the same age as me!_

_**GS Dragono-** Yes, we SO should start a club! That would be hilarious! But what on earth would it be called? The slap-happy clan? Come to think of it, I can be quite hyper. No joke. Actually, it's probably obvious, since I tend to ramble on my author's notes (oh yes I do). And I'm told I'm far too optimistic for my own good. So smiling I do quite a lot. ._

_**Laurashrub- **Yeah, when I read over what I write (as far as this story goes), I do tend to get ahead of myself when I read the musical line. I just expect to ramble on with the song, and I sometimes have difficulty keeping it all together. rolls eyes stupid me. You get to go to Rome this October! Yay for you! Why are you going? Is it a trip with your family? Come to think of it, that would be fun…_

_**Slade's Downfall- **Haha…I got you on another cliffhanger! I didn't really expect to cut it off as short as I did, but I suppose it couldn't be avoided…haha…_

_**Sandra Yvette- **Oh, I was wondering when someone would notice the "motorcycle" bit. I was afraid everyone would think it sounded ridiculous and stupid. Guess not. ._

_**Ashley-the-b-daplayer- **Hooked? Really? Aw, thanks, that just made my day! But seriously, when I get reviews like yours, it really does motivate me to write more. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a terrible procrastinator. So your review helped me get back onto my computer and finish another chappie!_

_**Kooky- **Obsessed? With MY fic! Wow, you're so unbelievably nice! Thanks so much, glad you like it!_

_**Fan of this Fic- **One of your favorites on the site? DANG. You really know how to make a person feel special, I'll tell you that! Oh, I totally understand the whole 'squealing' thing. I do it ALL the time when a story I like is updated. Thankfully I make sure no one's around when I'm reading; for me it makes things weird. And I must say…the boot country was absolutely amaaaaaaazing. _

_**TTHPfan- **Italy was awesome, as was Phantom, and I hope Wicked was…wicked, for lack of better words ;). You're a senior now? Dang. What IS this world coming to! And Chemistry, even though I consider it the root of all evil, I still would have done well if I didn't have a bad teacher. He was a student teacher the year before, and I'm sorry, couldn't teach very well. It just takes experience. And it is a difficult thing to teach. But when the other Chem teacher would sub for him, we all would understand it perfectly. But when my teacher came back, we'd all (yes, all. Only two people in his class got A's) get confused again. Ah well, it's all said and done, now. But hey, we'll both be taking Physics at the same time! Cool, huh? And hey, I love House too! And Pirates of the Carribbean! Great movie, the second one. I just loved it. _

_**The one and only- **ANDREA! Hey, you never invited me over for your little birthday dinner! How rude! Haha, it's okay. And I figured that I'm not going to call Giovanni all the way in Italy to ask him for a picture. Turns out my friend Molly has about three pictures of him, so she's gonna give all the doubles to me! Did I get to show you my photos? I thought I did…thanks for readin', and glad you find it so suspenseful! _

_**Smart one- **I FINALLY FOUND IT! Wooohooo! Sorry. It just took me forever to find. Your story, I mean. Very nice._

Alright, I'll get on with it…

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Kori couldn't breathe. His words finally began to sink in; she wasn't getting out. She couldn't escape. Her body stiffened within his hold, and she felt her throat tighten. Raw fear had woven itself into her, to the point of paralysis. Mouth agape and eyes watery, she looked once more to Richard, whose life now hung as loosely in the air as the deadly lasso.

She saw him struggle, his strained face met hers. He would not speak, for fear of what the ghost would do to her next. He only gazed at her, longing and despair filling his dark and loving eyes. Kori could not bear the sight of her loved one's face. His desire for her freedom meant far more to him than his very life. His life. That wretched man, with or without his mask, wouldn't even care if he took it away. Away from Kori.

As she looked upon Richard's wriggling form, she felt the ice in her veins slowly melt with boiling anger. He was going to kill Richard, whether Kori chose him or not.

The Phantom moved her body slightly to his side, so that he could look upon her face. To see, what her response would be. She would not look at him, and instead looked off into the distance, as if in a daze of her own.

"_The tears I might have shed  
__For your dark fate,"_

Her head slowly turned, and looked him square in the face.

"_Grow cold,  
__And turn to tears of hate!"_

Her last words she screamed. Her voice shook with a tearing fury that she did not know how to release. Her chest heaved from the repressed tension in her muscles, and she glared straight into his cold eyes.

She had no idea what she could do now, but to hate him. Hate him for what he did to her, how he mangled her mind, twisted her soul into his own, and stole what life remained in her possession, for what? Her love? Her body? She did not know, nor did she care. She had every reason to be afraid of him before this moment, the time where he chose to forsake the life of the one she loved for her own freedom. And for that she hated him.

She heard Richard's pleading voice echo to her from her side. He choked on his words, causing Kori's heart to tighten.

"_Kori forgive me,  
__Please forgive me…  
__I did it all for you,  
__And all for nothing…"_

Kori couldn't take it anymore. It was now or never. She was not going to go with him willingly. She struggled against his grip viciously, and tried to let out the boiling anger that had been pent up inside her for far too long.

"_Farewell, my fallen idol  
__And false friend!  
__One by one I've watched  
__Illusions shattered...!"_

As she fought, the specter contradicted her, shooting down any obstacle of verbal venom that she fired at him. He held her firm in controlling repose.

"_**Too late for turning back,  
**__**Too late for prayers and useless pity…"**_

The Phantom no longer squabbled with her. He himself had just reached his peak of violent discretion. He was not about to have her argue with him. With a swift jerk of the arms, he violently threw her into the wall he had pinned her against moments earlier. She let out a cry of pain as her body slammed into the stone, her head following soon after. He heard the resonant snap that occurred from her contact with the rock. She exhaled a helpless breath as she slumped pitifully to the ground.

Richard called to her, hoping, praying she could hear him.

"_Say you love him,  
__And my life is over!"_

The Phantom swiftly plucked her from the ground almost as second after she landed. He thrust her against the stone and pinned her elbows against it. His blind fury did not allow him to see it, but Richard did; Kori was bleeding. She had cut her neck sharply on the rocky wall, and left in its place remained a deep slash. Blood poured from it, but neither Kori nor the Phantom seemed to notice it.

Her face had a wilder look to it now, one of who had just been shocked. Her fear of him began to crawl into her skin once more. What he was physically capable of became far more vivid, and she flinched horribly at his forceful vice on her. He brought his face close, far too close. She squirmed, panicking that he would hurt her. He spoke menacingly into her petrified face.

"_**Past all hope of cries for help;  
**__**No point in fighting…"**_

He almost threw her from the wall, pulling her over closer to where Richard stood, but still a good distance from him. He held her firmly in front of him, but her body was too weak to sustain itself. She slumped in his hold, unable to balance. He had her hard by the elbows, so her entire lower body gave way, and her legs limped upon the rough ground. She heard Richard's voice growing louder and louder, his pain screaming into her ears.

"_For either way you choose,  
__He has to win…"_

The Phantom let her limp, and shook her as he hovered mercilessly above her. He yelled down at her, knowing very well that she would hear him.

"_**For either way you choose,  
**__**You cannot win!"**_

She felt the tears sink down her skin, but she found it useless to restrain. She was finding it harder to breath, and inhaled as deeply as she could, but it seemed more and more useless. She sobbed quietly, hoping Richard would not see. But he did.

Kori felt cold fingers entwine themselves into her hair. He tightened his fingers around them, and gripped her hair to the root. She squealed painfully as he dragged her head upward, backward, so that his face was in the nook of her neck.

"_**So do you end your days with me,"**_

His mouth etched its way to her ear.

"_**Or do you send him to his grave?"**_

She almost screamed from the pain. His voice booming into her ears, his grip on her hair, the unnatural stretch of her neck. She let out a silent cry of anguish when the pain did not cease. She heard Richard's voice.

"_Why make her lie to you,  
__To save me?"_

She strained to look at him, but the tears refused to stop as she saw him plead. She felt the grip on her loosen, and he let go of her hair. She gasped at the relief of her muscular tension. With that pain lessened, she felt the inkling of strength to stand. The Phantom did not lessen the vice on her arms, but allowed her to turn her head around and face him. She knew not what to do, now that she saw no other way of evading him. She cried softly, trying her hardest to reason with him.

"_Angel of Music..."_

He would not listen. He didn't even seem to hear her.

"_**Past the point of no return…"**_

Richard's voice seemed to grow faint. She could barely hear him against the specter's angry words.

"_For pity's sake, Christine,  
__Say no!"_

Kori tried harder. She had to get through to him, he had to listen. Pleading was the only thing she knew left to do. Despair was thick in her voice, for she knew all hope was lost.

"_Why this torment...?"_

He seemed to consider her words for a moment, but brushed it off, with only seeming to get angrier. His viciousness only increased with every word she said.

"_**The final threshold…"**_

Richard was yelling now. He had tears in his eyes, but he would not let them fall. He called out to her desperately.

"_Don't throw your life away  
__For my sake…"_

The Phantom let go of one of her arms and pointed a deadly finger at Richard. His eyes flashed with malevolence, his twisted face revealed true hate.

"_**His life is now the prize,  
**__**Which you must earn!"**_

Christine's tears fell steadily down her face. Like silver beads of rain sliding down a leaf they fell. She had not the strength to sob any longer, and she locked her blurred gaze with his cold one. Her lip quivered, and she said softly, so that only he could hear,

"_When will you see reason…?"_

She could clearly hear Richard's voice again. Her concentration on the ghost's visage had not faltered, but her mind had cleared. She flitted her eyes to him for a split second. His voice was at a soft cry.

"_I fought so hard to free you…"_

She flicked them away, back to the Phantom, hoping not to conflict his raging pandemonium further. Her voice remained at it's soft lull, her glassy orbs firmly fixated on him.

"_Angel of Music…"_

He looked at her as deeply as she did him. The venom seemed to slowly seep from his glittering eyes. But his voice was steady, as was his grip on her. His words did not falter, and his face was deathly calm. It frightened Kori. She had seen that look before.

"_**You've passed the Point of No Return…"**_

But it didn't seem to affect her. She continued her plea, with her own anger slowly dripping into her words.

"_You deceived me,"_

Her moment of anger flicked back into despair. Her confusion and naiveté surfaced, and the lost little girl that the Phantom knew all too well, the traits that made up who she really was, came fully onto her face. Her voice trembled.

"_I gave my mind blindly…"_

Before she could comprehend what happened next, she felt him release her arms. He roughly threw her to the ground, where she landed harshly into the stony floor. Her head hung low, and she draped her arms around her, attempting to support herself. She did not look at him, but heard his menacing voice, it's evilly low tone inching itself toward her.

"_**You try my patience,  
**__**Make your choice!"**_

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I'd like to apologize for how long my author's notes have been lately. Sheesh. It takes up like, half the chapter! Eeek! I'll try not to do that anymore!


	25. Down Once More: Part 5

It's MEEEEEE!!!

Remember the terrible girl who is very very bad at updating?? Yeah, I finally got back on here. Since I've been taking this long to update a lot, this probably won't sound any different then all the times I've said it before. But I kinda went on a hiatus with the story. I never really plan out any of these chapters, I just designate a time when I'm not swamped with schoolwork, glue my butt to my computer chair, and tell myself I'm not leaving the spot until I've written another chapter. Most of my chapters (near all of them) are done on an absolute whim, and totally depend on whether I have a couple hours of free time. And apparently, that I don't have much of.

I like being a junior. It's fun. Physics is totally awesome, very easy, much better than that icky nasty Chemistry. Ick. I mean, I'm getting a better grade in Honors Physics than what I was getting in regular Chemistry. That is truly sad.

Pre-calculus is…interesting (cough-cough almost failing it cough-cough). That I can blame my teacher on, though. Apparently there are two pre-calc teachers at my school. According to juniors before me, one of them is awesome, nice, and an overall great teacher. The other is a terrible teacher, hard to understand, and overall evil. And GUESS WHO I GOT?? I now know that the rumors are true…she IS a bad teacher. But she's not evil. She's actually quite nice. It's just going to require a lot of tutoring from her to pass that class. And I know I can do it, it's just that the methods she uses just don't give you enough experience to know what the heck you're doing! Okay, I'm going to stop.

Art History's a blast. It's basically a class that seniors take, so I'm one of the like, five juniors in that class. And the class is full of very very good-looking senior boys. So who would complain?? Surely not I.

And for choir, my class is singing "The Little Drummer Boy" for our Christmas concert!! EEEEE!! We are singing about….seven other Christmas songs, but that one's BY FAR my favorite. Or maybe it's just because my teacher didn't pick the good Christmas songs for us to sing this year.

And guess who I was for Halloween this year!?! CHRISTINE DAAE!!! I actually didn't even look for it, either. I originally wanted to be a princess or something (since I've never been a princess for Halloween…go figure). But I went to this costume renting place (notice: renting, not buying; that's how nice they were! I had to be careful with all the costumes!) and just FOUND a Victorian dress that was labeled "Christine, from Phantom of the Opera". I was pretty freaked. It was made of red satin, really long, with this pearl beaded thing that exposed my back. I loved it. Some long white gloves and a pearly Masquerade mask (complete with little holding stick) finished my little costume. I also put my hair in really tight curlers, so my hair was literally as tight as Christine's was. It was awesome, and all for this costume party my friend had. It was fun. Needless to say, I had Phantom songs stuck in my head nearly the whole night.

Anyway, onto reviews!!

_**Procrastinators.inc.- **Thank you, I do need the encouragement to not procrastinate. You're review surprisingly helped me get more motivated. Yay for you!_

_**TohruHonda777- **Thank you! I'm glad you like it. And yes, Pirates is awesome. It's so easy to become obsessed with it, too! I'm surprised I haven't written anything on it._

_**TTHPfan- **My friend likes to say "dude" all the time, so when you said that, I just couldn't stop laughing. And since your birthday is nearing, Happy Early Birthday! I'm going to go NUTS when POTC2 comes out on DVD!! We had "pirate day" during spirit week at our school, and I had loads of fun dressing up as a pirate. I've had the soundtrack to "Wicked" ever since last January, but I still haven't listened to it yet. I just keep getting caught up in other musicals! And all my friends rant and rave about how great "Rent" is. Again, haven't seen that either. I know I know…I'm so deprived…_

_**Smart One- **I hope I can read more of your story. And I like that you thought my last chapter was descriptive. I sometimes think I'm either not descriptive enough, or I use too much of it. Meh. Oh well._

_**D-I-WaRrIa- **I love "Angel of Music" too…it's SO one of my favorites…And hey, if I were Kori, I'd love to procrastinate too! I mean how easy is it to choose from two hot guys?! (Well, one isn't supposed to be hot, but we all know he is). _

_**Fan of this Fic- **Oh, I completely know what you mean with school. I SO didn't want it to start, even though my school started late (September 5). But if I'm having a bad day (or week), if a story I really like updates, I'm a totally different person. I must confess that I squeal a lot. I make sure nobody else is around to see me grin like an idiot. And your reviews never cease to cheer me up. You always have something complimentary to say besides the overly used "that was really good!!" which is what I hear from my friends. They're not very creative with their words. I hope you get the soundtrack! It's amazing, I just love it!! _

_**GS Dragono- **You're so nice!! Your review just made me grin from ear to ear. I hope the finishing of this story will be exceptional at least._

_**Kayo-the-black-sheep- **Oh yay! I can appeal to a Broadway nut!! Although I'm surprised a Broadway fan such as yourself has never seen POTO, but many haven't, so it's not a terrible thing. Gerard Butler is the dude who played the Phantom in the movie! I think he's quite shmexy, myself. And thank you for the kind words, they make me happy! _

_**Chocochip2000- **Ha! Your review made me laugh!! Mainly because I just love it when people say "dies". It just gives me this amusing image._

_**Swimmergirl642- **I LOVE Pride and Prejudice with a fiery passion!! Darcy is my LOVE. Well, his real name is Matthew MacFadyen, but Darcy is a much funner word. I also have never seen "Wicked". And I, like you, have the soundtrack. But I, unlike you, haven't listened to it yet. I know, I'm a loser for not even listening to it yet, but I just get so caught up in other musicals, I just have to obsess over them one at a time! I also haven't seen "Lil' Abner", but I have heard of it._

_**Strodgfrgf- **Sadly, I think I just DID end up making you wait as long as last time…oops. Thanks again!_

_**Laurashrub- **Well, I did take your advice; I didn't stop my author's notes. But I at least TRIED to make them not take up half the chapter. Well, I failed at that. It's still uber long! Lol. Oh well. And yes, I too am a proud Raul girl…I can see where the Phantom girls come from, but Raul will always be my favorite, as far as who Christine chooses, that is._

_**Valda- **HAHA!! You crack me up and make me feel good at the same time! I must say, I just LOVE your reviews. And the whole "University" thing does make sense, now that you've clarified. But I've never really looked into British money, I actually forgot that they didn't use euros. That shows how wondrously worldly I am. Lol. Out for my blood??? gulps Well I'm certainly glad that I've updated now!_

_**Angel Saiyan 22- **Oh thanks! I've finally ended it, so now it'll all be over after this chappie!_

_**Sandy Elric- **I feel bad for Richard too, and I'm totally biased with him over the Phantom. I feel so mean to all the people who think that Christine should end up with the Phantom instead. _

Okay, did ANYONE who read the book notice the little thing that I added in the last chapter? In the book, the Phantom twists his fingers into Christine's hair, and pulls on it when he screams at her. I snuck that in the last chapter, but I don't think anyone noticed. Oh well. I'm going to add another little tidbit that was in the book in this last chapter also. I'll give an imaginary cookie to whoever can tell me what it is!

Now, I know most of you don't remember, but the character of "Henry" is Hotspot. He has a major reference in this chapter, but I don't want anyone to be like "hey, who's THAT guy??". Also, Speedy is Steven, and Mammoth is Mark. Remember those names; they are going to be used as reference!

The time has come…this…gasp…is the last chapter of my story. cries. And, I'm happy to say that it's not outrageously short like many others! Mainly because I'm wrapping it all up in…a short timeframe. Lol. Let's just say it was longer than I thought it would be. So here it is…

* * *

Kori's long hair had lost its curl, and was now naturally pin straight. The red curtain covered her face as she inhaled as deeply as she could. Physical pain was catching up to her. Before she was so lost within the Phantom's words, she had forgotten any sense of bodily hurt. Within the moments that she was left to lie on the ground, the cold and wet air began to come back to her. The blood on her neck had not yet dried. She touched it, stared at the red substance as it trickled down her palm. Her eyes held a certain absence in them. She looked as if she had gone unconscious with her eyes still open. 

She was lost in a world of her own. She was confused. Why was she here? What was she doing? Where was she? She touched her wound again, causing more blood to fall onto her fingers. Her eyes fixated on her hand, and she shivered. A soft whisper escaped her, but neither of the men heard. It was as if she didn't know what blood was.

"What happened?" she whispered, "There's…so much of it…"

Her memory suddenly loosened, and her mind came back. She suddenly realized that only a matter of seconds had passed. It had felt like hours. She remembered where she was, what had happened, who was standing before her. As soon as her mind had left her, it came back with immediate knowledge of what she had to do. With a newfound resolution in her deep green eyes, she shakily started to stand.

The demented ghost stared at her expectantly. She did not look at Richard, for fear of what it would do to her motive. She knew her determination would falter and break if she saw his despair one more time. She approached the Phantom slowly but surely, her voice soft and quivering.

"_Pitiful creature of darkness,  
__What kind of life have you known?"_

She felt her bravery heighten. She would do it for Richard. So that he could live. It wouldn't matter what happened to her. If she would live a life of darkness and decay, she would still have the solace that Richard would survive; and that he would find someone to love him like she had. She was willing to sacrifice her entire being for him. She knew it wasn't what he wanted, that it would torture him to see her imprisoned forever. But his life was more important than hers. Her voice grew stronger. It was for him.

"_God gave me courage to show you  
__You are not alone..."_

Kori's face was inches from that of the Phantom's etched face. She did not look into his eyes. She slowly brought her lips to his and kissed him. For a moment it was empty, she hesitated. But she thought again of Richard, and she deepened it. She kissed him long and full, letting his tongue entwine hers, gorging him in the one desire he killed for all this time. She did not falter again.

At length she parted him. She finally looked into his eyes, and was surprised at what she saw. She expected triumph, tranquility, even a slight sense of joy. But what she saw was pain, realization, and heartbreak. His eyes were now blurred, hazed with a ghostly sheet of unfallen tears. She saw the droplets threaten to flow from his eyes, but he would not let her see it. His lips quivered, and his gaze dropped to the floor, where the tears splattered beneath him.

He turned her around, so that her back faced him. But he held her close to his chest, and his fingers twisted around her elbows. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the worst. He slid one hand down her arm, and embodied her hand with his, entwining their fingers together. His tear-stained face touched her exposed neck from behind. He kissed it, then ran his mouth across her shoulder, then back up again. He looked at her with a deep sense of temptation. His mouth wandered to her ear, but he did not touch it. He bit his lip. He drew back ever so slightly. He couldn't do it. Not when he knew she could never love him. He knew that his lips were Richard's when she kissed them.

She stood stock still, petrified, waiting for his next move. When it did not come, she only stayed where she was; she didn't move. She did not dare assume that he wouldn't do what he intended. She held her breath, and refused to open her eyes.

Her train of thought was cut short when a haunting tune swept down the caved underground. The voice of the mob suddenly rang through the thick air; it was closer than she realized.

"_Track down this murderer,  
__He must be found!"_

His lips inched closer and closer to her neck again, but he barely touched them before he abruptly dropped her from his grasp. It was the only way for him to stop his lust from tormenting himself further. She was now dependant on his hold, and since it was the only thing keeping her from falling, she slid helplessly to the ground. Upon reaching the icy floor, she wrapped her bare arms around herself and sobbed quietly. Slow, regretful tears inched down her cheeks. She softly shook as she sat heavily on the spot. The ghost strode from her side.

"_**Take her,  
**__**Forget me,  
**__**Forget all of this…"**_

He grappled at a lighted candle that was standing upon a candelabrum. He took it out, and carried it over to where Richard stood. The poor boy still couldn't control his balance. As the magician approached Richard, his eyes lit up with morbidity. This was it, he thought. The specter neared him, held the lighted candle several inches above Richard's head, and then pulled the candle back.

The instant the candle was removed from above Richard's head, the twisted rope snapped from its midair gibbet. Richard collapsed onto the floor at his instant release. The Phantom reached towards Richard's neck, and he flinched. But the composer merely rolled the twined rope off of Richard's head. As the Phantom quickly put the rope inside his shirt, Richard caught a small glimpse of the end of the noose. It was singed at the tip; burned straight through. _"But,"_ Richard thought, _"He never touched the fire with the rope, he only held it above my head…"_

They heard the mob again, but this time, they could hear individual people. Henry was one of their leaders. He had every reason to be angry, as did the rest of them. But his voice rang out the loudest, and he led them in their fury. His voice, now hot with anger, rang out through the dark chasms, and heated even the coldest waters that awaited them below.

"_Who is this monster,  
__This murdering beast…?"_

After a split second of tottering, Richard was able to stand. He limped toward Kori, as the Phantom shrunk from her.

"_**Leave me alone,  
**__**Forget all you've seen…"**_

"_Hunt out this animal  
__Who runs to ground…"_

With Richard's strength slowly returning, he threw his arms around the slumped Kori, who stood dumbfounded as she watched her tormentor free the boy. The musician, however, rambled about, throwing things aside. He turned to the couple, worry in his voice.

"_**Go now,  
**__**Don't let them find you!"**_

Henry's yells were getting louder. They were much closer now.

"_Revenge for Steven!  
__Revenge for Mark!"_

The Phantom pushed them to the secret gate where Richard had entered. He scrambled to the other side of the bank, and pushed the little boat to where they stood.

"_**Take the boat,  
**__**Leave me here,  
**__**Go now, don't wait…"**_

The voices were louder, nearer, all around them. Kori could hear Jinny's voice mixed with their hateful tones.

"_Too long he's preyed on us,  
__But now we know…"_

He seemed terrified now, as if he could feel their presence nearing him closer and closer.

**_"Just take her and go,  
Before it's too late!"_**

Henry was at the head, leading them on. He yelled triumphantly; he knew they were almost there.

"_This creature must never go free…"_

They were so close…so near…but Kori couldn't see them. They were like ghosts of their own; haunting, screaming, racing to cross over into a world that wasn't theirs.

_The Phantom of the Opera is there,  
__Deep down below…"_

Richard picked Kori up and placed her in the boat. He anxiously looked back at the Phantom, who looked like he had almost lost his mind. A word of gratitude tried to escape him, but to no avail. The specter screamed at him in pain.

"_**Go now!  
**__**Go now and leave me!!"**_

He collapsed. He buried his hands into his dark black hair and sobbed.

The mob was silent. They had reached a dead end. Henry ordered all to be silent, so that they could hear where the perpetrator was, and that they could find him then. But they only became more confused, for they heard nothing; not a sound from where they were.

The Phantom sat on his knees, his eyes itchy from dried tears. He pulled out his stark white mask. He stared mockingly at it, as if it was going to taunt him as well. From out of nowhere, he could hear a soft little melody. The little Persian monkey, sitting upon his barrel organ, was playing his small cymbals in the dark candlelight. The man crawled to the spot in which it sat, and brought the little music box down to him, so that he could see his stolen treasure play.

His eyes began to water again as the familiar melody as it played along its merry tune. It reminded him of her. Of her optimism and her joy. The joy she brought him. His watery eyes slurred his vision, but he stood steadfast. His rough voice was now soft and airy as he slowly sang along with the aged toy.

"_**Masquerade…  
**__**Paper faces on parade,  
Masquerade…  
**__**Hide your face,  
**__**So the world will never find you…"**_

As if she had appeared out of thin air, he could indistinctly see Kori's shape in front of him. He looked up and cleared his eyes. No, she wasn't a apparition, she was real. She was there. And she looked sad. She held something in her hand.

When he looked at her questioningly, she showed him what she held. It was a ring with diamonds heavily laid upon it. As if on impulse, the composer instantly reached for his pockets, checking them all to make sure they were empty. He was going to give that ring to her when they got married. But why did she have it now? How did she get it?

As if she had read his mind, the young girl answered him.

"You put it on my hand after I kissed you. You wrapped your fingers with mine, and when you let go, the ring was there. You never even realized you had done it."

He was struck dumb. No, he hadn't realized it. He had done it without thinking. When his mind was so clouded with lust and temptation after her acceptance, his subconscious had taken over him. But that didn't explain why she stood before him as she did now. He looked at her, unknowledgeable of what she would do.

The teenager knelt down beside him, put her small hand beneath his chin, and raised his eyes up to hers. Her own tears fought hard not to fall. Her eyes were glassy, but she did not cry. She took his hand and grasped it with her own, this time letting her own fingers link with his. She held his hand for about a minute, pouring her soul out to him with their glazed orbs locked together. When she let go, the ring was in his palm. His tears stayed at the corners of his eyes. He didn't want her to see him cry. She then put her hands on his shoulder, leaned forward, and gave him a soft little kiss on his forehead. As she did, a stray tear fell from her eyes, and dropped upon his face. He gently took her hands as she drew back.

"_**Kori, I love you…"**_

Her eyes, now filled to the brim with tears, blinked back at him with remorseful sorrow.

"I cannot," she whispered.

She slowly stood, and the Phantom let go of her hands. She inched away from him, and finally went off to join Richard in the boat. The Phantom watched her go, and tearfully looked on as he saw her embrace the boy with all her heart. She kissed him, she hugged him, and the two then started off on the little boat, with Richard rowing them on.

Kori clung to Richard lovingly as he rowed them away. She did not look back; it would be too hard for her. She loved Richard, but she still cared for the Phantom as a dear friend. To leave any friend is hard to do, but she had to. She embraced the boy she loved, grateful to God that he was alive, and sang softly to him through the misty water. The ghost heard her, and listened intently as she sang.

"_Say you'll share with me  
__One love, one lifetime…  
__Say the word,  
__And I will follow you…"_

Richard looked back lovingly at her, finally able to show her his love without fear or worry of her life being broken for his sake.

"_Share each day with me..."_

She replied to him, finishing the sentence that she wanted to say to him for so long.

"_Each night…"_

He sang with her now, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She laid her head upon his chest, and closed her eyes tranquilly.

"_Each morning…"_

The Phantom couldn't take it any longer. He broke out in a maddening wail, and called to her vainly, tears pouring from his eyes.

"_**You alone  
**__**can make my song take flight…"**_

He took a candlestick in his hand and screamed.

"_**It's over now,  
**__**The music of the night…"**_

He knocked over the chairs, the tables, beds, everything. Overturned the furniture, broke the glass, smashed the pottery, ripped the hanging cloths. He fell to the ground, clutched a loose rug that laid upon it, and held it to his face as he cried. The tears freefell from his eyes, down his cheeks, into his clothes, through his skin. He buried his hands in his hair and doubled over in racked sobs. She was gone. He loved her with his whole life, and now he could never have her. She would never love him, never share the feelings and emotions that he poured out to her. Never hold his hand, lean her head against his chest, kiss his lips. She was gone…

The mob heard him. They heard his maniacally despaired cry. They followed it, but Jinny was now at its head. She could hear him clearer than they could. She led them further, searching earnestly for her friend.

When she found the entranceway, she yelled frantically to those behind her.

"Guys? GUYS!! I see it! Here it is!"

She scrambled through the gate first, being the nimble ballerina that she was. She splashed through the bank, searching for Kori. Not a soul was in the cavern. They found the overturned furniture, the ripped cloths. Pieces of broken glass littered the ground, but not a trace of the ghost. There was no blood, no sign that Kori had been there.

As the mob began to search the area, Jinny saw something catch her eye. It was a chair, ornately decorated with velvet, satin, and engraved wood. It looked a lot like a throne. But the chair wasn't what drew her to the spot; it was what sat in the velvety cushion. In the seat sat a white mask. A mask that would cover the entire top half of a face, and had a red "X" slashed into its left side. She set it back down. She knew what it was, and who it belonged to.

She looked around the darkened cave, and a tear of realization slid down her face. She suddenly comprehended what despairs had been locked away in this lair, and that in this place there lay secrets that only the darkness knew.

* * *

Omigosh. It's really over. Oh dang, I actually finished it!! Whoa. So this is what it feels like to finish a gosh-darn-freaking TWENTY FIVE chapter story. Wow. I feel so…fulfilled!! 

I usually don't do this, but I've been talking to some of you through reviews, and I really like you guys! And I'm really going to miss talking to you, so if anyone wants to e-mail me, my e-mail address is written at the top of my profile. And yes, I just put it there. I'm really going to miss you guys! I hope you liked the story!


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